The Names That Bind
by drkdemon
Summary: Sakura's been crying the entire night on her desk. Syaoran turns up missing. A strand of faith & trust has been broken. What's happened? Whatever it is, it takes themas in everybodyto a different world altogether. Eriol x Sakura. completed
1. Be Disloyal and Be Gone

_Cool. Summary? Well, Sakura's hurt. Syaoran's not at home. Eriol's buying a plane ticket. The guardian's are spooked. Tomoyo can't comfort her best friend. The school's spreading rumors like fire even before twenty-four hours have passed. All because of one event, it brings everyone together to open a door to a different world. Literally.  
  
Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me._  
  
**Chapter One: Be Disloyal and Be Gone**  
  
_Day 1 - Earth_  
  
Sakura crumbled onto her seat as she enclosed herself in her room, her deep-blue colored dress showing her frailty in what had just happened, and her long, waist-length hair plastered against her. Thank God that nobody was home right now. Well, this entire situation was just wonderful. Delightful. Perfect. Little Miss Perfect. Little Miss I-Can-Do-Everything. Little Miss I-Love-Syaoran-And-Syaoran-Loves-Me.  
  
HAH!  
  
Screwed. She got screwed over.  
  
Subconsciously, she reached for her chain necklace, holding onto a locket. Clenching it into her fist, Sakura gave a sharp pull, and broke the chain, ignoring the immediate pain she felt from where it bit into her skin. Did not matter. It will go away soon enough. Even if the sorrow in her heart would not, at least the physical pain will. Sakura narrowed her eyes at the golden-colored item in her hand. Holding it high in the air, she gazed at it, when the locket fell open, so it showed a picture of Syaoran and her. Smiling.  
  
Oh, God, of all the things that she had to see, it just had to be of her and him, together. Clamping the entire thing together in one hand, Sakura chucked it towards the opposite side of the room. After she heard it clink on the wall and plopped onto the ground, Sakura decided to follow its actions and plopped her head onto her desk, feeling her threatened tears storm out, causing her to break down.  
  
It was over.  
  
It was all over.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 1 - Earth_  
  
Taking a sip of tea, he stared out the window, at the early sunrise, and nodded his head to his guesses, finding that he has assumed right. Foreboding. There was an ominous energy in the air. He could feel it flow through him, leaving a cold swamp of nervous sweat behind. He could taste it, its murky effects running around him.  
  
Yes. He had to leave again. This time, there was no way that he would call her on the phone and warn her. This time, he wanted to go back and see what help he could give. What help he _would _give. He felt his throat tighten up at the worry he had before, remembering the last time he had this kind of a feeling. Suddenly, the room did not feel so warm anymore. Even though he was wearing a vest over his shirt, and a pair of slacks, with this kind of a warm weather, it just did not feel so welcoming anymore. Okay. Time to stop worrying and start putting things together.  
  
"Kaho," he called out, "I need to go back to Japan."  
  
A second later, a tall, sleek woman entered the door, wearing a white, wool sweater and a silk-like yellow dress. She smiled at the sixteen-year-old in front of her with the deep blue hair, and asked, "and when did you make this decision?"  
  
"Just now."  
  
"Just now?"  
  
"Now," he said firmly.  
  
Kaho nodded. "I'll go make a call and buy a ticket right away, Eriol. Do you wish for company with you?"  
  
Eriol shook his head. "I will go on this trip alone."  
  
"Okay then. Go pack up," she said, never asking him for his reasons. "You'll leave as soon as possible."  
  
After Kaho left, Eriol walked back to his seat, and sat down. He would have time to pack. He would have plenty of time to pack. Right now, he can just worry and be nervous and any other negative emotion that can come up to him. This feeling... He did not like it. He did not like it one bit. And he was not thinking clearly, for some reason. It seemed as if his lifetimes before were suddenly pushed out of his mind and hidden somewhere, leaving him with only the rationality of this life. Oh, dear. He was in enormous trouble, and he knew it. When Eriol looked down and glanced at his grip on the tea cup, he gasp. His hands were shaking, hard, as the liquid tea quivered to his actions. "God..." Eriol murmured, his eyes widening. "What in the world is going on?"  
  
Distracted by his wariness, Eriol did not notice Nakuru and Spinel peeking in, their curiosity getting the better of them.  
  
"Hey, Kaho," Nakuru blinked as she turned to look at the young woman walking off down the hall. "Is the master... agitated?!"  
  
Kaho stopped walking off as she turned around and smiled at them. "What can you expect? He may have been the reincarnation of Clow, Nakuru, but he is still living a new life, and he is still just a teenager of sixteen years old. He has time to grow into another thoughtful young man, not that he isn't already. He is not supposed to be all perfect and all powerful, as you should know already."  
  
Nakuru blinked again, this time in realization of something horrible to her mind. "He's... HE'S NOT?!?!?!?!??!?!" A second later, she fainted in shock as Kaho turned around to make a phone call, whistling and smiling obliviously as she left Spinel to the mess in the hall.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 2 - ______ World_  
  
Syaoran groaned as he opened his eyes, feeling as if his entire body was in pain. As he tried to get up, he heard a mixture of jingling sounds, and realized that he ached all over. His green T-shirt was torn and filthy. The pair of jeans he wore pushed against his legs as he laid on the ground. Trying to move again, he opened his eyes slightly a bit more, and realized that his legs were locked to a chain connected to the wall. And other than that, he found himself in a room similar to a prison cell. There were bars, keeping him in the disgusting and filthy quality of the entire place. Basically, he got the works.  
  
Oh, goody.  
  
Trying to kill some time, he started to try to think about stuff that has happened to him. But suddenly, looking back at his memory, Syaoran found that he couldn't remember or recall a thing that happened last night. Or the entire time of yesterday at all, to be exact. Unless he had already been here for days as well.  
  
"Ugh..." he groaned, his voice hoarse, as he strained his way up to sit with his back on the cold wall. A prisoner. That's exactly what he was. But for who, why, where, and all those questions, Syaoran was coming up with a blank for it. And other than that problem. he needed a way out of this place. Coming up with an idea already, Syaoran reached into his pockets, and he fumbled for his scrolls that he had always kept with him. When he realized that whoever brought him here had also stripped him of all his magical materials and left him with nothing at all, Syaoran laid his head on the wall and just spent the next minutes breathing in, trying to gather some energy back into him.  
  
Abruptly, his eyes shot open, remembering one certain person that he should have thought of the moment he woke up.  
  
Sakura.  
  
Where was she? Where was his love? He grasped the necklace he had on, and breathed a bit more easily when he still found it wrapped around his neck. Good. There was one thing that those people did _not _take from him. How nice of them. Opening the lock, he smiled softly at the picture. _Sakura..._ He had no clue what was going on, and he felt as if he had a ton of bricks laid on his head last night. But with this locket, he can go on. He has to, for her sake, and for his. _Sakura..._ he whispered again in his mind as thoughts of her and him enveloped him in memories. With those pictures in his head, Syaoran closed his eyes, and fell back into a silent slumber, a quiet smile decorating his lips.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 2 - Earth_  
  
The next day, Sakura woke up with the happy thought of cramps all over her body. "Ugh..." she groaned, moving her neck to try to get it to loosen up, and saw that the sun was not even out in the sky yet when she glanced out the window. Looking around, she soon realized that she had fallen asleep on her desk. "Oh, God..." she murmured as she also soon realized that she did not even shower or change last night, her homework left undone, and still untouched in her backpack. Taking a look at her clock, and seeing that it was 5:30 in the morning, she realized that she still had time left to start.  
  
"Might as well," she mumbled. "It's not like I have anything better to do." Sakura made a grab for her backpack and turned it upside-down, dumping all of its contents onto the floor. Still in her stupor, she picked up her math book and binder, turning to the right pages and, after making a grab for her pencil, started to just jot down whatever came to her mind.  
  
After she finished, she will go take a shower, she decided. That will do her some good. The boiling hot water and loud noise can drown out her thoughts and memories of yesterday. Heck, maybe she can somehow 'accidentally' drown herself as well. _Oh, yeah._ THAT will make her feel much better.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 1 - Earth_  
  
"You leave in the afternoon, Eriol, at 2:00, and will get to Sakura's hometown in the morning. I found out where she and Syaoran attends school, so you can meet them there. In the morning as well, of course. Are you sure that you're ready? This was really sudden," Kaho said cautiously. "We do not want anything to happen to you."  
  
"I can take care of myself, Kaho," Eriol argued as he threw some clothes into his suitcases, realizing that he didn't sound like his usual self. In fact, he sounded like... like... a teenager! (Wow....)  
  
Kaho must have realized as well, because she raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay. I'll leave the whole 'motherly' personality alone then," she said, a thin line on her lips. Some would have mistaken that for anger, when she was really trying to hide her smile.  
  
Eriol sighed, frustrated, and raked his fingers through his glistening, dark hair. "I'm sorry. I don't know what is going on with me, Kaho," he whispered. "It's as if I was reading a book, when suddenly, somebody just slammed it shut and knocked me in the head, making me lose all of the stuff that I have learned. Somebody's doing this to me, and I have a feeling that my answers will be where the Card Captor and descendant lays."  
  
Kaho nodded. "Well, here's your ticket. I picked them up just at first. You keep a hold on that one, and I'll keep a hold on the other two until we are all ready."  
  
Eriol blinked, holding a sweater in his hands as he stopped in his tracks from putting it into his suitcase. "What?" he asked. "Why do you have two other tickets?"  
  
"Because," she said, looking as if that was the most obvious thing in the world, "we all wanted to come along. Didn't you know?" she smiled. "Nakuru and Spinel miss everybody back in Japan as well."  
  
"That's RIGHT!" Nakuru grinned as her head popped into from the side of a door as she walked in. "Suppi and I just want to go back with you, and Kaho agreed to it! Totally cool! I'm so psyched! I mean, it's not as if there was anything to do here anyway..." she sighed sadly, her expressions switching so quickly that it just took enough will to follow her emotions. "All I do is walk around in circles, and you, Kaho, and Suppi are my only company. Suppi's gonna just slip in as a stuffed animal. Damn. If only I could have some advantages like him, you know-"  
  
"MY NAME IS NOT SUPPI!!!" Spinel hollered at her, popping up right beside her, the little creature flapping around angrily. "MY NAME IS SPINEL!!! GET IT RIGHT!!!"  
  
"Geez. Loosen up, Spinster," she mumbled, and turned back to the other two. "AANNYYWWAAYY, I packed up already, and it's gonna be, like, incredibly awesome, you know!! I can't wait..." Spinel got so angry that he popped away, steaming as he did, leaving the second guardian to continue to babble on and on.  
  
Eriol smiled as he started to pack up again. They worried about him. This will most definitely be quite an interesting trip...  
  
But even as he smiled, he could not help but feel that portentous mood coming back up again. Shivering, he tried to push it to the back of his mind, and just focused and concentrated on putting stuff into his suitcases.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 2 - Earth_  
  
Sakura glanced around cautiously as she stepped into the school. When she saw two girls whispering and pointing to her, she felt her stomach lurch. Did they know already? So fast? No, Sakura decided. They can't. _Syaoran and I just argued last night. There is no way that they could figure it out so quickly! Even Syaoran wouldn't have that big of a mouth! _But as she continued down the hall, and as more heads turned to look at her, Sakura stared to doubt that thought she had in her mind.  
  
As her doubts were proven when she saw Tomoyo by her locker.  
  
"Sakura! Oh, God... How did it happen?!" she asked with worry in her voice.  
  
Sakura groaned, and not for the first time. "So it's all over the school already?!"  
  
Tomoyo's eyes widened even more. She was wearing a purple blouse, the tips of her hair just barely touching her shoulders. "Oh," she gasped. "You don't even know about it... I tried taking it off, but they all pushed me away. They'll let you see it, though. They'd want to let you see it." Slamming her locker shut, Tomoyo grabbed Sakura's hand and dragged her through to the end of the hall, where the bulletin was stationed. Tomoyo gave Sakura a small push forward, and she stumbled past the crowds.  
  
Seeing a flyer there, Sakura quickly pulled it off angrily without another second's worth of hesitation, much to many of the students' disappointments. Feeling tears swell into her eyes again, Sakura felt like throwing herself into a hole right at this instant. It was here. It was all here. All about last night. About how Syaoran was supposed to meet up with her for a date. And how he never showed up. How Sakura when to look for her. And how she found him with kissing up a storm with another girl. There was a lot more that they had missed. But if the school could already whisper about this much, then Sakura should feel relieved that they didn't know more. But still. It was too much. Way too much.  
  
_I can't be here right now. I can't!_ Sakura exclaimed silently. She looked up, and saw the pitying stares, which were also mixed with confusion, gloating, and others that she couldn't identify. Backing up from them, Sakura turned quickly and ran down to the opposite end of the hall, where the exit was right in her view. All she needed was a few more seconds, ignoring the cries of her name and such as she rushed away.  
  
Suddenly, Sakura felt a jerk on her arm, and she turned around, her eyes meeting Tomoyo's. "Sakura. Please. It can't be true, right? Syaoran would never do such a thing to do."  
  
Feeling a forbidden tear run down her cheek, Sakura smiled ironically and replied, "Oh, I'm only running away to tell Syaoran the good news, you know. We made front page on the bulletin, and maybe even for the school paper. They might even mention it in the news, you know. Why, there's nothing wrong." Sakura was backing up, her back to the door. "There's nothing wrong at all. I mean, why should there be? I'm only _crying _because I WANT TO!!!" Feeling a bit of a sting when she saw the hurt in Tomoyo's eyes didn't do much. Instead, she jerked back around, only to run into somebody else. About to apologize quickly, Sakura looked up. But when her eyes connected with the person's face, she felt her words get stuck in her mouth, rendering her to become speechless.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 2 - _____ World_  
  
"GET UP, YOU LAZY BONE!!!" somebody hollered.  
  
Suddenly, Syaoran felt a burst of cold water wrap around him, soaking his entire body. He jerked up, awake, and tried to rub the water out of his eyes. Looking up, he saw a woman standing there with long fiery, red hair that ran down her shoulders. Wearing a skimpy orange shirt and long, silk violent pants, she smirked. "Well, the prince is finally awake," she whispered in a husky voice.  
  
Syaoran glared at her. "Who are you?" he demanded.  
  
Pouting, she continued to stare down at him. "Oh..." she whimpered in a mocking voice. "He's forgotten already about his special night with her. What to do, what to do..."  
  
Narrowing his eyes at her, Syaoran felt a surge go through his mind. He... Something happened to him. Somewhere. Those words caused him to feel a sense of deja vu, but nothing happened. "Who are you?" he asked again.  
  
Sighing, she shook her head. "I can't believe this. Well, I'll just let you stay here and recollect yourself a bit," she grinned, and waved bye-bye as she walked off. "Be ready to work your ass off, honey," she continued as she left. "There ain't no way that she's letting you off this easily. Not after she's found somebody like you in such a long, long time."  
  
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Syaoran yelled as he got up and slammed the bars with his hands, calling out at her. "Hey! Let me out of here!" he screamed as she walked off, laughing with the sound echoing down the hall. "DAMN!" Syaoran cursed as he punched the bars, ignoring the seething pain he got in return. _What in the freaking world is going on right now?! Why can't I remember anything about last night?!_  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 1 - Earth_  
  
"Sakura."  
  
Looking up from her tears as she still cried the night away, Sakura caught a glimpse of sleek, silver hair. "Yue," she whispered.  
  
Sitting on the desk lightly, he stoked her hair on her head as she laid her head back down to rest on her arms. "What happened?" he asked in a soft voice. "Your cry for help was so loud that I almost changed in front of Yukito's grandparents, before I was lucky enough to hold myself together to get away from them first. And where in the world is Cerberus at this moment?" he added, a touch of annoyance in his voice.  
  
She sniffed. "My dad and bro are out checking out this museum thing," she said shakily. "I told Kero to go watch movies with Tomoyo, and he happily agreed, considering how I was going to go see Syaoran, and didn't want him to stay here all by himself."  
  
"What did he do?" Yue asked, continuing to stroke her hair.  
  
Biting her lip, Sakura forced her words to come out of her mouth. "I found him in bed with another girl," she said. "I mean, I have the key to his house, and thought that I would... surprise him or something. I didn't mean to... to... run in to that at all..." she sobbed. "I just can't believe that he'd do something like that to me. I mean, even WE haven't reached that point..."  
  
Yue stayed silent.  
  
"Unless... she was the reason for it..." Sakura realized.  
  
Yue shook his head. "The descendant of Clow Reed will never do that to you," he reassured her.  
  
"How would you know?" she whimpered.  
  
"Because he loves you."  
  
"But not enough, right?" she asked, shivering a bit. "He didn't love me enough to not cheat on me."  
  
Taking his hand off of her hair, Yue bend down and wrapped a warm wing around her. "I know he loves you," Yue whispered, hugging her a bit with his own arm. "I will go talk with him about what he has done. And if you will, maybe you can accept him again."  
  
Looking up at him, Sakura jumped into his arms. "Thanks, Yue," she said, clenching him to her. "Thank you for being there for me. You're one of my closest friends, and I thank you for being there for me all the time."  
  
Closing his eyes, Yue held her closer. "You are my master, and my friend. If I do not comfort you, then there is no reason for me to be here."  
  
Sighing, she said, "I wish to be left alone now, Yue."  
  
Clenching his teeth together, feeling worry for his master, he asked, "Are you sure that you will be okay?"  
  
"I'm just going to cry myself to sleep," Sakura decided. "And I want to be alone as I do that. I'm sorry, Yue. I just think that I deserve some silence after all of this."  
  
Yue nodded. "I have business to tend to, anyway." With those words, he slid out through the small window, and flew away into the darkness.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 2 - Earth_  
  
"What is it that the master feels?" Nakuru asked as she sat down on a couch. Somehow, they were able to get back the big house they had stayed in the last time, though it was in a different location this time. "There is a reason that he came back here, and I want to know what it is."  
  
Kaho smiled. "You do know about the other worlds, do you not?" she asked nonchalantly.  
  
Shrugging, Nakuru nodded. "I've heard a few things about it. One or two or so, but those worlds remain as a mystery to everyone in the world."  
  
"Yes, but even so, if one should slip from theirs to ours, it is still noticeable. Eriol may not notice it just yet, but that is why he is uneasy these days. This is why he returned here; someone has slipped into our world," she replied, "but he does not know that yet. He might realize it soon, but not currently."  
  
Spinel purred as he curled around Kaho's feet. "What world?"  
  
Kaho bent down to scratch his ears, causing Spinel to purr some more. "I felt the presence a while ago, but I thought that Sakura would have been able to take care of it."  
  
Nakuru snorted. "That little girl?! Why, she can't even get up at the right time, let alone take care of a creature from another world."  
  
Kaho raised an eyebrow at her words. "That same girl defeated Eriol when she was in fifth grade, whom is a reincarnation of Clow Reed. That same girl was also able to capture Void, and is now the master of all the Sakura Cards. She has a lot of potential, Nakuru."  
  
"But..." Spinel said, knowing that there was going to be one of those coming up.  
  
"But," Kaho nodded, "this presence has stayed for quite a while, days already, probably even months and years. I haven't been able to sense him or her until now, and I wonder how long this creature has planned to live here. I also had no clue how Sakura was dealing with it, and even now she is probably _oblivious _to it, considering how my senses show that nothing has been done about it."  
  
"Which world did this presence come from?" Nakuru asked.  
  
Kaho shrugged. "That I do not know. But we will find out soon. Eriol will figure it out, and he will report back to us."  
  
Nakuru nodded. "That is why we came in the first place: we were worried for master."  
  
Smiling secretly, Kaho replied, "that's not the only reason, is it?"  
  
Blinking, Spinel and Nakuru asked, "What?"  
  
Shaking her head, she turned away, and said, "Never mind," with that same smile still on her lips. Suddenly, her smiled broke. "And Sakura... That girl... Something ill is happening to her. She is hurt. Very hurt."  
  
"What?" Nakuru asked, now very interested. "Did she get into a fight or something?"  
  
Kaho shook her head. "No," she murmured. "It is not a physical wound, but an internal one." Then, her eyes widened. "Syaoran. He is the one whom caused her pain," she whispered in amazement.  
  
"Whoa..." Nakuru said. "Relationships have really gone downhill lately, ne? I mean, the divorce rate is 50% these days, so just think about those who are just couples."  
  
"Don't say that, Nakuru," Spinel scolded. "The master would not like to hear you badmouth them."  
  
"As if I was trying to, Suppi," she cooed, happy that she got a glare back from him. "I'm just saying that it's kind of no surprise that the two of them would break up sooner or later. I mean, considering how the world's working these days."  
  
"But they have been together since the sixth grade," Kaho said gravely. "Something _awful _must have caused this to happen to them."  
  
"You speak as if you knew for sure that those two are done for," Spinel observed.  
  
"Those poor, poor kids..." Kaho whispered. "I hope that they are ready for what's to come..."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 2 - Earth_  
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
Sakura quickly looked up, and her eyes widened, ignoring her tears streaming down her face. She tried to wipe the tears with her green sweater, but found that Eriol's appearance shocked her enough to have her stay immobile. "Oh," she whispered in awe. "Eriol... What are you doing here?"  
  
Eriol smirked as he saw the confusion expand in her expression as she soon realized that Eriol did not look as he did when she last saw him in fifth grade. "Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't you hear?" he asked lightly, as if she was just standing there like any other person, without the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I just transferred in here. I'm your new classmate again, Sakura."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Okay, so maybe it doesn't get to the plot right away. It will soon! Please review now! *smiles*_


	2. Disappearance

_ Chapter two is up! Yay! Please read and review! I thrive on those kind of things. And btw, Touya is hardly going to be in this story... *smiles embarrassingly* I totally forgot about him for a while when I was writing, and I think it's too late to add him back in... Eh... Oops.  
  
Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura the series does not belong to me; it belongs to Clamp._  
  
**Chapter Two: Disappearance**  
_Day 2 - Earth_  
  
"What are you doing back here, Eriol?" Sakura asked, confused.  
  
After taking out a tissue, handing it to her, and hearing her mumble something close to a thanks, Eriol said, stuffing his hands back into his pockets, "Well, I guess you won't believe me if I say that I'm here to see how well you're doing?"  
  
Shaking her head, Sakura led Eriol out of the school so that they could talk. "Was never your style, Eriol," she told him. "So what is it this time? Another test for me? Another rogue card for me to capture? Or aliens from outer space? Because that last choice would be very interesting."  
  
"Maybe you and I should wait for your current, ah... emotional outburst to simmer down before we get into any talks," he suggested.  
  
Rubbing her eyes, Sakura said stubbornly, "I'm just fine. I... I just..."  
  
"Oh," he then said. "Have you seen Syaoran around? I wish to have a word with him. Unless, of course," he said, turning to her, "you can tell me yourself why you're crying your head off."  
  
"Look," Sakura growled, "can we just lay off this whole Syaoran thing? I don't want to talk about him." God. Even just hearing his name caused unusual emotions to gather inside of her and curl her out of her guts. _Oh, man..._ Sakura groaned inwardly. _I can't believe that this is happening to me..._  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Eriol handed her another tissue, just in case. "I see..." he mumbled.  
  
"There's nothing to see, Eriol," Sakura sighed as she gratefully took the tissue from him. "I'm glad to see you again, and I am sorry that we did not do that huggy-huggy thing, but I'm just not in the mood."  
  
"I can tell," he told her. "You never snapped at me before when we were in fifth grade."  
  
Her hair flying as she jerked her head to turn to him, Sakura felt a small smile come upon her lips, as she started to remember what it was like back then. Even if back then WAS a test and all. "That was before," she said, and felt herself frowning again, "before Syaoran loved me..."  
  
"Would you want me to punch him in the face, demand a straightforward statement and make him pay for making you cry?" Eriol suggested, feeling his throat tighten up. What in the world was going on?! He adjusted his glasses and they continued walking around the school. "I have not heard anything about it; do you want to tell me?"  
  
Sakura shook her head. "No," she said. "Not yet."  
  
Nodding, Eriol obliged to her answer. "You have strengthened, Sakura. Magic-wise, of course."  
  
"How do you know?" she asked.  
  
"I keep in track and touch with people who know you, and I keep in track with you. Need to know what one such as you is doing over the years."  
  
"You do that, and you never tell me how you are doing? I don't hear a word from you after that disconnected phone call about four or five years ago?" she demanded, her tone now getting a bit angry. "So you thought it was okay that you knew everything that I was doing, and I don't have to give a damn about what's going on in your life?"  
  
Gulping, Eriol smiled. "I didn't know you cared," he said casually.  
  
"Well, I do," Sakura said, her tears finally drying up. "I don't get it. Did you forget about us, because you had bigger fish to fry or something? I mean, I know we're not really that 'important' and all, but it's still harsh that you just stop talking to us after all the danger was over. Not even a congratulation after I captured that last card. Not a telephone call at all."  
  
Eriol shrugged as they continued to walk around the school. "I didn't think that you really cared," he repeated. "I mean, with Syaoran there, I thought he was enough to keep you happy and oblivious."  
  
Sakura sighed. "It worked too well," she whispered.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 3 - _____ World_  
  
Syaoran woke up to the sounds of someone banging the bars to his cell. Jerking up, he stared around, and found the same woman staring and smirking at him. Quickly, he ran up to her, and grabbed her hand before she was able to react. "Who are you?!" he asked. "I am not letting you go until you tell me who are you, and what in the freaking world you did to me!"  
  
Shrugging, the girl took out a key and unlocked a door. "Come," she commanded.  
  
"Why should I?" he asked, not planning to move at all. Well, freedom was great of course, but who knew where this road was going to lead, and he was not going to take any chances. "I think that standing here will be just fine with me."  
  
Feigning an obvious sigh, the girl said, "Well, I guess that Sakura can just die for all you care-"  
  
Eyes widening in a second, Syaoran rushed out of the door, and grabbed her by the throat with one hand. "What did you do with her?! Where is Sakura?! I swear to God if you did ANYTHING to her-" Suddenly, the girl grabbed his arm and squeezed it, when an electrical surge went through him. "AHHHH!!!" Syaoran yelled as he loosened his grip on the girl's arm and kneeled onto the ground with her still holding on his own.  
  
"Nobody - and I mean NOBODY! - threatens me but those who are higher than me," she said in a crystal, clear voice. "I suggest that you get used to that. Now, if you want nothing to happen to your cherry blossom girl, then you get on your feet and move. RIGHT NOW!"  
  
Struggling to get up, Syaoran supported his weight on the bars as he glared at her, breathing hard.  
  
"Now don't look at me like that; I know you love me," she smiled and turned around. "Follow me. And do not worry. There are many other scars to follow these, and there is also much work to be done. Oh, and since you sooo wish to call me something, you can think of me as 'Master'."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 2 - Earth_  
  
"Class, please welcome Hiiragizawa Eriol to this school. He has just transferred here from England."  
  
Bowing to the class, Eriol smiled at them. "Thank you for making this a wonderful welcome. Hopefully, I'll be able to get to know you all." With those words, the teacher assigned Eriol his seat.  
  
Smiling at Sakura, he sat down next to her again. Sighing, Sakura turned away, not wanting to really see anybody's face right now. They had to finish their conversation early, considering how school still started at the same time as always. Eriol didn't seem to have an answer for the response she gave him before.  
  
_ Eriol shrugged as they continued to walk around the school. "I didn't think that you really cared. I mean, with Syaoran there, I thought he was enough to keep you happy and oblivious."  
  
"It worked too well," Sakura whispered.  
  
Silently, Eriol stared up at the sky. Sakura slumped as she realized that this time, Eriol would not be able to comfort her. He would not give her a rose from a bouquet that he had brought to class. He would not smile at her. Not that all that stuff was sincere, either. Feeling all these emotions come up in her, Sakura felt like digging up a hole and crawling in there. Maybe if she did, she can stay there forever.  
_  
"Kinomoto," her teacher's voice suddenly rang clear in her head. "Can you please tell me the answer to the problem on the board?"  
  
Blinking for a second, Sakura suddenly felt an answer burst out of her mouth. "The current answer is negative. But since that doesn't fit in the requirements, considering how each answer is supposed to come out positive, it will remain undefined."  
  
Nodding his head in satisfaction of the answer, the teacher turned his head back to the class and started lecturing on how that worked.  
  
Swerving her head to her side, she turned to look at Eriol. He was wearing The Smile as he turned to look at her. "It seemed as if you needed a little boost, is all," he whispered softly to her.  
  
Biting her lip, Sakura turned back to look at the teacher's mouth move.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


Day 3 - _____ World  
  
Syaoran hurried to throw the rock onto the second basket until he knew that was as much as he could carry for one round. He could not feel anything in his fingers as the cold wind suddenly blew against him. Hard. Syaoran groaned as he carried the two baskets of rocks on a rod, hanging on his shoulders, to the destination. When he got there, he quickly dumped the contents out. "Why in the freakin' world are we doing this in the first place?!" he grumbled, starting to pick up his baskets.  
  
"The Master is making a new home for herself," somebody answered his unexpectedly. "And she needs this place to be cleared out. Never wanted to do things the easy way, you see." Syaoran turned around, and saw a guy around his age staring back at him.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Tgaeh," the guy replied. He was about Syaoran's height, maybe an inch taller or so. He had deep black hair tied in a thin, long ponytail, wearing a plain white, ragged t-shirt, and slacks. "You new here?" he asked as he dumped his share of rocks in as well.  
  
Syaoran nodded cautiously. "Who is she?" he asked Tgaeh.  
  
The guy shrugged. "Dunno," he replied, "but she's been here for quite a while."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
Tgaeh smiled at him ironically. "Because I was born into this job, and she was still the Master."  
  
"Whoa," Syaoran murmured. "I can't believe that people put up with her."  
  
"Hurry up. Come gather the stones again. We can't have the guards catch us being lazy, you know." As they walked, Tgaeh continued in a low voice, "she has magic."  
  
"Magic?"  
  
"Yep," he nodded. "Always did. I heard that about twenty-five years ago, some tried to escape. You know, rebel against her. Of course, I wasn't there to see it, but I heard it terrified lot of everybody else. The group whom tried were never seen again. Of course, they have tales about it. Some say that the Master has a scepter which she wields, and lightning bolts fly out. Other say that she can create monsters out of it. Don't matter what kind of stories they are, she's always carrying a scepter in them."  
  
Picking up a rock, and feeling it slip in his hands, Syaoran quickly dumped it in his basket. "Why does everybody call her Master?" he asked.  
  
"Has always been her name," Tgaeh shrugged. "My mother and father called her Master. Their mothers and fathers before them called her Master. She's just been Master and mastered us since anybody can remember. And if you call her anything else, by the way, you'll have Solitary."  
  
"Solitary? What's that?"  
  
Shuddering, Tgaeh said, "it's the worst. I had it for five minutes, and I came back looking all blue. At least, that's what mum and dad said. I don't remember anything about it, though... All I remember was that it was very bright, but very dark as well. Kind of glad that I don't remember, really. Don't think that I'd still be here if I did."  
  
"Are you saying that people have died before from this... Solitary thing?" Syaoran asked, going to fill the second basket already.  
  
"Oh, yes, yes. There were some would didn't even make it back! Why, I was just a lucky one. Some never came back out, and others die a few minutes after they stumbled back into their home. If their lucky, they're just broken and cry all the time. Who knows. It's always a different reaction when each one comes back, but they're always worse than before. I remember how my own parents choked me to death with their arms around me when I came back," he admitted sheepishly.  
  
"Where are they now?" Syaoran asked. "Does everybody just go wherever they want?"  
  
Tgaeh nodded. "We work wherever we want, as long as we are working. But that's not it." Sucking in some air, he picked up his share and walked back to the destination with Syaoran. "It's just that... my parents are dead. They died around five years ago."  
  
"How?" Syaoran asked. When he saw Tgaeh raise an eyebrow and look at him, he realized that maybe that wasn't exactly a casual question to ask.  
  
Shrugging, as if saying that it was okay anyway, Tgaeh replied softly, "they were the second wave of rebels since twenty-five years ago. It happened just about five years ago, and I have never seemed they ever again. They tried to bring me and my siblings with them, but somehow we escaped death when we were caught and, well, Brache, Sharhn, and I are still here. But they are dead. They're dead dead."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 2 - Earth_  
  
"I can't find him," Yue rushed his words out.  
  
"What?!" Sakura asked. "Are you saying that he ran away?!" Sakura had ran all the way home from after school. Ironically, Eriol was in more than half of her classes. She'll just talk to him tomorrow. There was just too much happening to her today. No sooner had she thought that, she found Yue sitting on the window in her room.  
  
Yue shook his head. "He left everything behind. I did not see anything out of place. He's just... not there."  
  
"Are you sure that you checked everywhere?" Sakura asked, surprised that she heard a tone of worry in her voice. Either way, she couldn't calm herself down or shove this feeling away. "I mean, he couldn't have just... vanished, Yue. That's pretty impossible. Have you checked..." Taking in a breath, she tried again. "Maybe he's still with... You know. That girl," she finished lamely and quietly.  
  
To her surprise, Yue said, "No. I have checked everywhere, and Kero is coming back right now. He fell asleep at Tomoyo's house." _If he could add anything,_ Sakura thought, _he'd probably call him an irresponsible git. But Yue isn't like that._ "And about the impossibility, Sakura... I think that when it comes to you, with your magic, impossible things can, um... bend the rules a bit."  
  
"Are you saying that..." Sakura whispered. "That he could have..."  
  
"Vanished?!" another clear voice put in. "Oh, no! No, no, no, no! Um... no."  
  
Turning around, Yue looked out the window, and his eyes narrowed. "Nakuru! What are you doing _here_?!"  
  
"Please, Yue," she smirked, in her true form, floating outside of the window. When she flew forward, Sakura gave her some space to land in her room. "You don't have to look so happy to see me. Really. I mean, control yourself sometimes." Sakura could have sworn that she saw a glimpse of anger flash through Yue's eyes. "Well," Nakuru said, turning to look at Sakura, "I'm here to inform you something. Before the master gets home, of course, and realizes that I am gone."  
  
"What?" Sakura gasped, her eyes widening. "Why?! You never really _disobeyed _Eriol before, have you?"  
  
Nakuru shook her head. "I'm pretty sure Kaho knows I'm here, though. But then again, what doesn't she ever know," she muttered in annoyance. "Well, back to the subject... I know where your Li kid is. I know where you'd want to go to find him, and I don't want you to drag my master in to it with you."  
  
Sakura shook her head in anger. "I wouldn't want to bother Eriol about this. Besides, after what Syaoran did to me..." she whispered. "How can I-"  
  
"Oh, stop moping!" Nakuru yelled at her. "Did you really think that that stupid boy could've REALLY cheated on you?! Sheesh! Don't make me think that you're even MORE stupid that I thought!" Sakura glared at her. Man, now she knew how Spinel and Yue could dislike her so much. "I'm here to tell you that on the night you found him with that woman, which was just yesterday, a spell was put on him. Do you recognize that girl at all?"  
  
Sakura shook her head. "I... I sensed that I knew her, somehow, but I just can't put my finger on it..."   
  
"And I am not surprised, too," Yue put in.  
  
"You're not supposed to be," Nakuru replied, moving to sit on Sakura's desk. "You see, Mistress Card Captor, there are other worlds besides this one. Others that parallels this one. Others where different creatures live in. I guess you can call them different dimensions, but they're actually different worlds."  
  
"Are you saying... that this is where Syaoran was taken to? Against his will?"  
  
"Well, basically, yes. That's exactly what's happened to him. Of course, I didn't sense it at first, either. Kaho did. I just felt that maybe I should tell you, in case you'd ever want to get him outta there and all. Doesn't seem like a good idea for someone to slip between worlds, after all."  
  
Feeling a surge of happiness go through her, even though it was just a small bit, Sakura smiled up at Nakuru. "How do I get there?" she asked. "How can I get into one of those worlds? And do you know which one Syaoran's in? Like, specifically?"  
  
"There are ways," Yue said, "that one can open a portal to one of these other realms. You certainly have the ability to do so. But... these things are very uncertain, and very random. When a portal opens, depending on one's will and level of magic, it can stayed open, or close right away. This type of stuff is very unstable, Sakura, and takes a great deal of risk."  
  
"But how was she able to get to our world in the first place?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Kaho said that she's been here for quite a while, living in this district. And she's obviously very powerful," Nakuru said, nodding to what she said, "or you'd have been able to sense her. I guess that we should have done something about it before, call you or something, but even we didn't sense it. In fact, our master had only suggested to come back here yesterday. Meaning that when she was making her move and returning to her realm, that was the only time he sensed her."  
  
Sighing, Sakura slumped down onto her bed. "That means that I have another quest up ahead, huh?" she mumbled sadly.  
  
Nakuru shrugged. "You don't have to go get him, you know. You can just leave him there."  
  
"I can't do that!" Sakura cried, sitting up abruptly.  
  
"Not to a descendant of Clow Reed!" Yue yelled as well.  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Nakuru said to Yue, "Wow, Yue. I can't believe it. You actually sound as if you cared about what happened to this runt." That shut him up.  
  
Sakura shook her head. "I can't leave him there," she said determinedly. "Even after what he did, I can't just leave him in some kind of a hell place and have him rot there. He is somebody that I still care about, and I need to do something about this. Now how to you two suggest that I open up this portal to the other world?"  
  
"But we don't even know which world he's in," Nakuru argued.  
  
Sakura blinked. "How many different worlds are there?!"  
  
"And you do not know if he is happy there or not, Sakura," Yue added.  
  
Nakuru groaned. "Great going there, idiot!"  
  
Taking in his words, Sakura realized what Yue was saying. _It's true, isn't it?_ she thought. _I mean, well, Syaoran can be happy wherever he is right now, and it wouldn't matter to him what happened to the rest of us. I mean, just because he was taken there, doesn't mean that he didn't want to go himself. And even if he was put under a spell and kissed that girl last night, doesn't mean that he can't be doing it right now because he wants to. God... But... But what if he's not happy there? What if he's sad? How... How in the world can I know?! How-_  
  
"Hey! Girl!" Nakuru yelled, looking into her face. "Look," she said, getting up from the desk and sat down right in front of Sakura. "Trust me on this, okay? You're little honey-buns is not happy there. Wherever he is, he wants out. He wants nothing to do with that place, and he means it when he thinks that. You need to go get him outta there. There is no way that you can just leave him there. I know it sounds like I'm trying to get rid of you, but I'm not. Trust me on this. He loves you, okay? And there is nothing he wants more right now than to see your cute little face."  
  
Looking up at her, Sakura whispered, "but how can you be sure?"  
  
"Hey!" Nakuru said, shuffling her feet a bit as she got back up. "I know some of this stuff, okay? Now, I'll come back tomorrow and see if I can help you with anything. Maybe get up an image of where he is and what he's doing before we jump into anything which we can't get out of. When we are sure of which world he's in, then I'll help with that as well. Heck, I may even go in with you. But right now, just don't do anything except brood over him, all right? Don't do anything rash."  
  
"I never do, anyway," Sakura mumbled.  
  
"Yeah, but this involves the Li kid. That's different. Now I gotta go. I don't want my master to think that I came to see you or anything."  
  
"Thanks," Sakura said in that same, dead tone of voice.  
  
As Nakuru stepped out of the window, Yue whispered, so that only she could hear, "I didn't know that you would come all this way to cheer somebody up, Nakuru."  
  
Glaring at him, Nakuru said, "Shut up. Everything I said is true. I wouldn't tell a lie. Well, not a big one, anyway." With those words, she opened up her wings and flew away from the house.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 3 - _____ World_  
  
"Ahh... Sunset, my friend," Tgaeh smiled contently.  
  
Syaoran collapsed onto the rubble, not giving a damn that it was hurting his behind as he sat on it. "Are we done?" he asked wearily.  
  
"Do you have a place to stay?" Tgaeh asked.  
  
Looking up in disbelief, Syaoran replied, gasping for his breath, "No! I was kidnapped to this place, Tgaeh, by people that I don't even know! I don't even know if I did anything to them or not, and I really doubt that I did! Do you think that they'd be generous enough to give me a shelter place to stay?!"  
  
"Ahh... so they didn't. Then come. You should stay with me until they inform you of your household. Really, since this was your first day, you'd be quite sore afterwards. I can give you some ointment."  
  
Smiling up at him tiredly, Syaoran only managed a small, "Thanks." Then, getting up, he said, "lead the way. But slowly, please. I find that walking faster causes black dots to appear in my eyes, and that's usually the first symptoms of fainting and black-outs, something that I don't wish to experience."  
  
"You seem to have quite a sense of humor for one as weary-lucked as you are," Tgaeh remarked.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm kind of in denial right now. Give me a day or two and I'll even have to strain all my muscles to just smile for ya."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 3 - Earth_  
  
"Here. Take some of this powder, and sprinkle it onto the Book," Nakuru said. It was after school already, and Sakura had rushed home. She had finished all of her work, and cleaned everything up before she did this. The sun had already set, and it was almost nine at night. But still, she'd have done this no matter what the time was. There was no way that Sakura was going to miss this.  
  
"Why?" Sakura asked as she dotted some onto her hand, and sniffed it cautiously. "I didn't know that we needed this stuff for magic."  
  
"Hey. You can't always just pull out a card and ask for it to become a tracking device." The two of them were sitting on the ground, with the book on the ground, with Cerberus and Yue watching from corner of the room. Nakuru smiled at them. "You guys knew this stuff already, _right_?"  
  
"Hah!" Cerberus said haughtily. "Of _course _we did! Why, weren't we Clow Reed's guardians before YOU? Why shouldn't we know this stuff? We just didn't have any, is all."  
  
"We never learned of this magic," Yue said stonily. "When we were by Clow Reed's side, I do not think that he learned of it yet."  
  
Face-faulting, Cerberus glared at guardian. "Yue!" he growled loudly. "You didn't have to tell her that! She probably wouldn't have known anyway!"  
  
Shaking her head, Sakura said, "Continue. I want to get this over with."  
  
Whispering and murmuring a few words of chant, Nakuru motioned for Sakura to sprinkle the blue sparkling colored dust onto the book. After she did so, Nakuru whispered, "_Book to show for me to see_."  
  
After the pause, Sakura realized that she was supposed to repeat along. Quickly, she sat up and said, "_Book to show for me to see_."  
  
_ "Things to see, show me what they'll be."  
  
"Things to see, show me what they'll be."  
  
"Questions I ask, show me what I need to know."  
  
"Questions I ask, show me what I need to know."  
  
"Book of magic, show me where I need to go."  
  
"Book of magic, show me where I need to go."  
_  
Gasping, Sakura saw a sudden beam of light from the engraved circles on the book shoot up to the ceiling. As the light dimmed a bit, she noticed movements inside. Squinting her eyes, she said, "I can't see that well."  
  
"Wait. Just wait a minute," Nakuru mumbled. "I just can't believe that we got through, though." Looking up at the girl's face, Nakuru thought, _her magic... It truly is getting stronger._  
  
Suddenly, the light cleared, and the images were detailed... Too detailed. "Oh, God..." Sakura whispered, covering her mouth with her hands. There he was: Syaoran Li. "What happened to him?!"  
  
Nakuru nodded, as if she was answering questions she herself had asked. "He was taken there, and now he is a slave. It seems that he can't get out. I wonder where all his magical equipment went..."  
  
"It was all probably taken from him, most likely," Yue put in.  
  
Nakuru nodded. "Yes. They probably knocked him out and searched him. Whoever brought him there obviously knew what she or he was doing."  
  
Sakura shook her head wildly, feeling tears swell into her eyes. "He... he looks awful! What world is this? Can you guys identify it?!" she asked hastily.  
  
"I can," a fifth voice put in.  
  
Turning to look at her door, Sakura's eyes widened.  
  
"M-master!" Nakuru choked, surprise on her face as well.  
  
"Eriol?! What are you doing here?!"  
  
"That doesn't matter," he said, no smile on his face this time. "I know which world that is." He walked up to them, and casually sat down next to the surprised Sakura and flabbergasted Nakuru.  
  
"Which one?" Sakura whispered.  
  
"It is the world which I knew of since I can remember. That, Sakura, is the Shadow World. You want to go get Syaoran from there? Fine. I'm just gonna be going with you."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_  
Done! Hehe. What's Eriol going to do? What's NAKURU going to do? She's the one who wanted to keep him out of it. *shrugs* Please review now!_


	3. Connections

_ Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me._  
**  
Chapter Three: Connections**  
_Day 3 - Earth_  
  
"What?! You can't!" Sakura and Nakuru exclaimed at the same time. Sakura then continued, "you have to stay here. There is no way that you are going with me."  
  
"I volunteer to go with her, master!" Nakuru added in quickly. "You don't have to leave this place. Sakura will have her guardians, and she will also have me there as well. That should be more than enough magic and protection while we are there."  
  
Eriol turned to look at her from where he sat. "And when were you going to tell me this, Nakuru?"  
  
Biting her lip, Nakuru fell silence when she couldn't come up with an answer. Satisfied with that, Eriol turned back to look at Sakura. "This time, I will go with you as well. This is not a test, Sakura, and I am not going to let such a good chance for vacation past."  
  
The other four in the room stared at him and exclaimed, "VACATION?!"  
  
Eriol nodded. "I think that I would need one after coming back here, you know. It will be a vacation from a vacation," he decided.  
  
Sakura stared at him, her mouth partly opened as she gaped at him. "You still can't come," she finally repeated herself. "I can always tie you up and leave you here until Spinel or my family finds you."  
  
"Wait!" Cerberus interrupted immediately, something dawning to him when he continued to watch what Sakura was doing. "You're planning to leave... right now?!"  
  
"Well, in an hour or two, hopefully, if we can get a portal to open," she said, as if that was exactly what everybody else was thinking as well.  
  
Turning to look at her, Eriol said, "Sakura, the Shadow World's time is parallel to ours. If we are gone for one day, then one day would pass here as well. What do you suggest for us to do if we get stuck there, or if it is going to take a long time to find Syaoran?"  
  
"Nothing, because WE will not be going anywhere," Sakura replied. "You are still not coming with me," she said as she got up, and walked to her closet. Taking out a sports bag, she threw it onto her bed. "I welcome Yue, Cerberus, and Nakuru, but I made a deal with her that if she helps me, you'd stay here, just as she wanted."  
  
Staring at her, Eriol asked, "Are you sure that you do not want me there?"  
  
Sakura nodded her head determinedly, even though she admitted secretly to herself his protection was greatly welcomed. Who knew what kind of monsters lived in the Shadow World, though she was content with the thought that at least some humans were there. "I do not need you to follow me this time. I guess you were hoping for a chance or something to make it up to me or something, but that's okay, Eriol. You can just stay here, as your guardians would have wished."  
  
Shrugging, Eriol said, "Fine. But if you cannot open the portal, do not come to me, seeking an answer." Whoa. Did he sound pissed. "And I wasn't 'making up' for anything. I just thought that you would have felt better if more people could have gone to free Syaoran. But fine. Just don't look for me if you can't do anything." With those words, he got up, and just left.  
  
Ignoring him, Sakura continued to pack with the three guardians sitting there speechless.  
  
"Well," Cerberus said, clearing his throat, "_that _was quite a good way to leave impressions on somebody."  
  
"Oh, come on, Cerberus," Sakura rolled her eyes. "What did you want me to do? Get down and beg on my knees for him to come with me?!"  
  
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Nakuru yelled.  
  
"I know!" Sakura agreed. "That is why I didn't do it. Now... How are we going to open a portal? What will we need?"  
  
Biting her lip, Nakuru said softly, with a tone of dread in her voice, "I'm afraid that we are going to have to do this the next day. He is calling for me to return."  
  
"Oh, no," Sakura whispered. "Eriol won't... he won't do anything to you... will he?"  
  
Sighing, and shaking his head, Nakuru responded, "he always gives me the lecture, and always leaves me feeling guilty and all. I hate it when he does that! It's the worse punishment ever... Well, see you guys, and we'll see how we can work this out. I need to stop him from going with you, and when I do, I'll then help you get to the Shadow World." With those words, Nakuru stood up, nodded her head to them, and left Sakura's house.  
  
Sakura sat down on her bed. She covered her face with her hands as she moaned, "what is happening to me? I can't believe that I just blew Eriol off like that."  
  
"Eh... Not too big of a loss, if you ask me," Cerberus shrugged, and got a look from Yue in return.  
  
"But he is my _friend_, Cerberus," Sakura sighed. "And how in the world did he find out in the first place?!  
  
"Well, Kaho is quite resourceful," Yue suggested.  
  
Never taking her face out of her hands, Sakura nodded to at least show that she was listening.  
  
"What do you want us to do now, Sakura?" Cerberus asked, his expression serious.  
  
"I don't know," she whispered, still not looking at them. "I think that I just want some time alone, is that okay? Just... just until I hear from you guys that we can do the portal thing." Finally, she peeked at them, and continued, "I've packed everything up, and I'm ready to go. But since Eriol just popped up, and since we don't have the materials for the spell, we just can't go..."  
  
"Do not worry, Sakura," Yue said softly, trying to reassure her. "We should be able to depart by tomorrow at the latest. And when we do, you should have Mirror take your place. It is as Eriol said: we cannot have people know that you are gone. It would cause quite some disturbances and all."  
  
Sakura nodded her head. "Okay then. I guess I should get some sleep now. But with Syaoran gone, I just don't know... And did you see him?! The condition he's in? And it's not only him, either. All those humans... Th-they're like - slaves! If we can, I want to stop whatever is going on there. Their faces, they all look so... unhappy..."  
  
Cerberus nodded. "We will think of something, Sakura. But you must know that you cannot always be the savior of the world. Even that takes some help along the way. Come now. You must sleep."  
  
Sakura shifted around to get under her blanket. "Fine," she yawned. "But please..." she said softly, looking up at them with frightened eyes. "Don't leave me... Don't do what Syaoran did. Even if he didn't mean it, and I now he didn't, it still hurts. Please, you guys. Even if you're under a spell, don't leave me..."  
  
Cerberus smiled softly at her, and nuzzled her face softly. "I promise. We will not desert you. Now sleep..."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Shadow World_  
  
Ouch! Ouch, ouch, ouch, ooouuuccchhh!!!! "AH!" Syaoran gasped.  
  
"Whoa. Hold it there," Tgaeh chuckled.  
  
"What," Syaoran managed to choke out in a small voice. "What happened to me?!"  
  
"That was your first time doing hard labor, am I correct?" Tgaeh said, dragging a wooden chair to sit down next to Syaoran, who was laying down.  
  
"I, well, I did training before. But... Wow," he groaned. "_Nothing _compares to this. Ultimate sore body."  
  
"It is not that big of a surprise. Nobody does that good for a first trial. Come now. You can rest for maybe a half more hour at the most. But then, you need to go back to work. We have to hit the ruins when the sun rises up from the mountains."  
  
"You mean..." Syaoran said, his eyes widening. "It's not even daylight, yet?!"  
  
Tgaeh shook his head. "My siblings have gone to wash. You should do so, too. It will refresh you a bit."  
  
"I feel as if I can hardly move, though," Syaoran complained. "How can you take this everyday, Tgaeh? And what in the world keeps you from dying? How do you guys get paid?!"  
  
"Didn't you know?" Tgaeh asked. "All men must work at the ruins. Women stay here in the villages to tend to the flocks and crops." Now that Syaoran thought about it, he didn't really see any women there when he was gathering meaningless rocks into his baskets. God... This sounded like the old days. "Oh, and the disabled stay to tend at the villages as well."  
  
"So... at least they don't REALLY force you to work if you're disabled, right?" Syaoran asked.  
  
"No, that is not it. One who is disabled must be stated to be disabled first. Then he or she will be able to stay away from the ruins."  
  
"Why are they called the ruins??" Syaoran asked.  
  
"Because they are ruined buildings," Tgaeh laughed, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Tagay! Tagay!" a little voice shrieked, saying Tgaeh's name wrong.  
  
His eyes widening, Tgaeh jerked up from his seat and ran out of the door, grabbing a hold of a lantern as he did. Slowly and carefully, Syaoran got up, and tried to follow as well. _Damn! This is so freaking PATHETIC!!! Thank God that nobody from home can see me..._ Having that thought pop up into his head, Syaoran then remembered that he was miles, or maybe even more, away from his home. Sighing, Syaoran tried to push that thought away as he chased after Tgaeh, able to fast walk a bit.  
  
"What's wrong, Sharhn?!" Tgaeh asked urgently when he got out of the door.  
  
Syaoran peeked out, and smiled at the small little, skinny girl there, which he met last night. She was up to Tgaeh's thigh, and had short clumps of brown hair tied in a messy ponytail. Her big, crystal green eyes had a threatening tear in it.  
  
"D-d-dere is shumtin in da puu," she sniffed, wrapping her arms around her brother's knee.  
  
"Where is Brache?!" Tgaeh demanded, peeking cautiously into the deep washing pool, which went up to waist height.  
  
"'E wan awae," she responded.  
  
Shaking his head, Tgaeh peered in some more, and then, after a moment, he started to chuckle again in that deep soft voice of his. Tgaeh dipped his arm into the water without even rolling up his sleeve, and then reaching in a bit deeper, until a look of satisfaction ran across his face. Bringing his arm back up, wet sleeve and all, Tgaeh crouched down next to Sharhn, holding something in his hand. "Is this what scared you?" he smiled, and then unfolded his hand.  
  
Suddenly, something jumped sharply out, causing Sharhn to shriek and jumped to clutch her own brother tight.  
  
Walking out, Syaoran took a look at the creature that was jumping around. It had the back legs of a frog, same texture skin, and about the same size, if not a bit smaller. But its color was bright pink, and had long, slimy bat-like ears that reached the ground. The creature's head had three brown-colored eyes, and a long nose that curled up. Ewwwww. "What is that?!" Syaoran cried, realizing later that he said it at the same time as Sharhn.  
  
Tgaeh raised an eyebrow at Syaoran's reaction, then replied, "that is a _groppa_. Groppas are very common in these areas, but I guess that Sharhn has never seen one before. Come now, Sharhn. There is nothing to be afraid of. Groppas don't hurt you."  
  
"But thwey're scaway," she whimpered, her arms still wrapped around Tgaeh's neck, choking him a bit.  
  
Tgaeh chuckled again as he stood up, carrying Sharhn with him as he did. "Come on. Let's go find that chicken brother of yours," he laughed.  
  
"Wait!" Syaoran said, walking quickly up to him as they started to look for Tgaeh's younger brother. "You have _chickens _here?!"  
  
Blinking, Tgaeh said, "Oh. Good. So where you come from, they have those as well?"  
  
Oh, JOY! Syaoran smiled. already feeling a bit of his cramps going away at this happy thought. So this place didn't have too many different creatures that he hasn't seen before. At least there were chickens. "Hey, Tgaeh, have you ever heard of horses...."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Earth_  
  
"Sakura."  
  
Taking another bite out of her sandwich, and not looking up, she said, "what is it, Tomoyo? Eriol?"  
  
Eriol and Tomoyo looked at each other. Then, they sat down next to her under the cool and refreshing shade of the tree. "Um, Sakura," Tomoyo said, nervousness in her voice, "I... Eriol informed me of a little bit of what's going on. And... well..."  
  
"What?" Sakura asked. "You want to come too?"  
  
"Yes," she replied simply. "I want to go along with you."  
  
"Hey!" Eriol exclaimed. "I didn't hear you say that before!"  
  
"You can't. And Eriol can't either," Sakura said in the same tone as Tomoyo.  
  
Sighing, Tomoyo took Sakura's hand tightly into hers. "Sakura..." she whispered. Sakura released her sandwich from her grasp, which was on her lap. Slowly, she looked up at Tomoyo, who smiled softly and sadly at her. "We can get through this," she said in a gentle voice. "I'm not here to pity you, Sakura; I'm here to be your friend. And I've been doing that for quite a while already."  
  
Choking a bit, Sakura flung herself forward and wrapped her arms around Tomoyo's neck, feeling overwhelming emotions churning inside of her. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't. But she couldn't help feeling a bit happy. Well, yeah, she knew already that Tomoyo was going to be there for her forever, and she had her guardians. And now Eriol is back in her life, even though she's been a bit cold about it. But still. Hearing the words come out of Tomoyo's mouth gave it a little bit her. It could keep her going.  
  
"Thanks, Tomoyo," she whispered, not caring that Eriol was seeing her break down like this. He already did when he came back to Japan on his first day.  
  
"No problem, Sakura," Tomoyo smiled. "So wherever you're going, I'm going with you. There is no way that you can stop here."  
  
Nodding slightly, Sakura said through a quivering smile, "okay. I understand."  
  
Eriol shook his head. Why couldn't he be like Tomoyo, and get Sakura to let him go as well? Sighing, he sat down next to the two still-hugging friends. "Ahh..." he said, shaking his head. "Sakura-san is not a fair person at all."  
  
Finally letting her friend go, Sakura sat back down with her back to the tree. "You _know _not to call me that, Eriol," she sniffed.  
  
"Well, if Sakura-san wishes for another name, then she must comply to my wishes as well," Eriol smiled.  
  
"He'd be a _great _help to the group, Sakura," Tomoyo tried.  
  
Sakura shook her head. "I can't. I promised Nakuru that I would keep Eriol out of this." Then, she turned to him. "Did you hear me on this? I can't let you come, Eriol. Please... I gave my promise to Nakuru that you would stay here."  
  
"Maybe you can have a temporary loss of hearing?" Eriol suggested, smiling a bit.  
  
Sakura frowned a bit. "Eriol? Are you feeling well?" she asked. "Ever since you came back here, you... Oh, maybe it's just me." Sakura shook her head. "People can change in all these years."  
  
Realizing what she said, Eriol lost the smile he had a couple seconds ago. "It's not you," he replied grimly. "I've recognized what's been happening to me as well. Whoever brought Syaoran to the Shadow World has also caused this to happen to me."  
  
Tomoyo turned to look at him. "What? What's wrong?"  
  
Holding his hands in front of his face, Eriol shook his head. "I don't know," he whispered. "Something... My rationality... It's fading from me. I don't know how to explain it, really. All I know is that all my experiences, my wisdom from my memories from my lifetimes before... They're fading from my mind. It's as if.. as if... Oh, God. I don't even know how to explain it."  
  
"It's as if..." Sakura suggested, "you're starting to act like a regular teenager? Just somebody who's trying to have some fun and kid around and try some dishonest stuff? Just like any other happy, hyper teenager boy?"  
  
Blinking, Eriol took in her words. Then, he nodded cautiously, carefully. "Maybe..." he dragged that word a bit. "But whatever it is, it's causing me to become a bit on the careless side, Sakura. This is why I must go along with you. I have answers to find for myself as well. It is not only to help you."  
  
"Thanks for the words of caring, Eriol," Sakura mumbled.  
  
Eriol blinked again, and realized what he had just said. "AH!" he gave a short cry of frustration. "See? See what I mean?! Something is happening to me, and I don't even know what it is! This is not me! This is not who I am! I am - I am - I am-"  
  
"Whoa, Eriol. You're freaking out," Tomoyo said, reaching out to hold onto his arm. "You are Eriol. You are who you are, and you're just changing a bit. There is nothing wrong with that."  
  
"But..." Eriol said, looking up at her. Then, he turned away, and raked his fingers through his hair in confusion. "I don't get this..." he finally said, taking his glasses off to wipe them with his shirt. Holding them up to the sunlight, he stared through them. A few silent moments later, he turned to Sakura. "I will help you open the portal," he said in a soft voice. "And if you want me to, I will go with you. If you do not wish for me to come, then I will listen. It will be your choice, Sakura."  
  
Sakura nodded.  
  
Eriol then continued. "We will do the spell tonight. Tomoyo, Yue, Cerberus, and Nakuru will be there. I will go home after school to pick up the materials needed." Then, he looked at his watch. "Come now. Class will be starting soon."  
  
As the three of them got up, Sakura looked at Eriol. "Eriol," she said. "How long are you planning to stay?"  
  
Eriol, after in another few thoughtful and silent minutes, replied back with a smile, "that will be decided by you as well, Sakura."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Shadow World_  
  
"Brache!" Tgaeh cried. "Brache, get your behind out here right now! You do not want me to catch you when I am angry, and you know that already!"  
  
"Why didn't I meet Brache last night?""He usually stays away from the house a lot, and I guess that I never bothered to mention him. I can't stop him from doing what he does. But during the day, I need him here to watch over Sharhn."  
  
"Are you their guardian?" Syaoran asked him in a low voice.  
  
"They're all I have left, and I'm all they have left," Tgaeh replied softly. "I'm their brother, but I am their mother and father as well. Worrying is just about all I can when I leave them here. Brache is excused from the ruins so that he can take care of Sharhn during the day. But he is irresponsible, so I can't help but want to check on them all the time. But that is impossible to do. BRACHE!!!"  
  
"Oh, quit your yelling," somebody grumbled from the next corner of the house they were circling. The houses here where made of cement. Syaoran knocked on the wall, and his eyes widened. Held together good, too. He quickly turned his attention back to the sulking boy in front of him. He looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old, and had unruly, messy brown hair. Brache was about up to Tgaeh's chest height, and had defying, bright blue eyes. His lips were shaped in a pout as he glared at them.  
  
"What are you doing, Brache?! Sunrise is in twenty minutes, and I have to leave to the ruins! You need to take care of Sharhn for me, and you know that. You should consider yourself lucky for not having to go to pick up rocks! Why must you make things so hard???"  
  
"I don't want to take care of Sharhn," he said, moping a bit.  
  
Tgaeh rolled his eyes and then shook his head. "What will I do with you, Brache? I need to leave soon. Please don't let Sharhn out of your sights. I can't have you two disappearing on me..."  
  
"Don gwo," Sharhn cried, grabbing onto Tgaeh's shirt, and held onto it tightly. "Bwack don wanna stay wit mwe..."  
  
Tgaeh turned to look down at Brache. "Brache..." he whispered. "Come now..."  
  
"If mother and father were here-" he started.  
  
"And unfortunately, they are not, Brache," Tgaeh said. Syaoran heard his voice crack a bit with those words, but it was as if he has been through this conversation many times before. "I need you to be like them. I need you to be strong, and watch over Sharhn. How else can I make sure that you all are safe??? It is hard enough to come home exhausted everyday. Please, Brache. Do not make this any harder than it already is."  
  
Brache looked up at him, an expression of pure pain on his face. But reluctantly, he nodded, and strained a smile. "I'm sorry, Sharhn," he said, walking up to them. "I'll play with you today, okay? And protect you. Tgaeh has to go to work, and we can go help in the fields. Lady Khirn might need our help."  
  
Peeking out from her embrace, Sharhn stared at her brother. "Weally?" she squeaked.  
  
Brache nodded. "Don't you want to see Lady Khirn again?" he asked.  
  
Finally, Sharhn let go of Tgaeh, and jumped onto her second brother. "Yay!!!" she giggled and squealed. "Brack wikes mwe again!!!"  
  
"It is not as if I never did," Brache laughed, holding her up in the air. Then, he turned to Syaoran and Tgaeh, nodding his head towards another direction, telling them to go to work already. Tgaeh nodded in thanks, and walked off, with Syaoran following him.  
  
"I don't get it," Syaoran said as they walked back to the well. Syaoran started to splash his face with water, reveling in the cool and refreshing taste he got back. "How did you change his mind? Brache didn't look as if he was going to move at all."  
  
Tgaeh shook his head, mentally exhausted, if Syaoran could tell right. "Brache and I do this at least once a week. And each time, he mentions our mum and dad. I don't like it, but it takes all I can to make sure that he listens to me. I give him the same lecture each time, and he follows my rules every time afterwards. It's as if he needs me to reassure him to do what he needs to do in order for us to move on. But... I don't know how long it will take before he breaks away from me. It scares me," Tgaeh gulped.  
  
Syaoran stopped splashing water onto his face as he heard Tgaeh say those words. "I wish there was something that I can do for you," he said, standing up to look at his new friend. "I mean, you gave me a roof to sleep under until things go steady, and helped me since you met me yesterday. Thank you."  
  
Tgaeh nodded his head slightly. "It's the best that I can do for you. After all, if the master has brought you here, then there must be a reason that she wants you here. And since we met, I guess that it'd be better if I can keep you from getting into trouble."  
  
"Why?" Syaoran asked cautiously.  
  
"I also sense power in you," Tgaeh admitted. "It's hard not to when you've been exposed to it, and I have been very exposed to it. You have powers, and I think that you might be the one of which our prophecies speak of."  
  
Syaoran blinked. Okay. So there was a _reason _that this man was nice to him. "Thanks," he muttered. "And I thought you were doing this just out of goodness and hospitality. Instead, it turns out that you want something from me."  
  
Tgaeh shook his head. "I am sorry, Syaoran."  
  
"No, no," Syaoran said, shaking his head. "I understand. Just... Can you tell me anything about this 'prophecy'?"  
  
"I'll do better," Tgaeh replied, a side of his lip moving up to form half a smile. "I'll show you after we finish our work for the end of the day."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Earth_  
  
"Release!" Sakura shouted as her key expanded and grew to a wand. She then took out a pink card of hers, and threw it into the air. "Mirror!"  
  
A few seconds later, an exact duplicate of her appeared right in front of her eyes, wearing the same thing. Sakura had on a pair of faded jeans and green t-shirt, dressing plainly so that she didn't worry too much about it when she would open the portal. "I need you to stay here, Mirror," Sakura informed her. "Make sure that people think that I'm still here, while I'll be gone in an adventure, please? I'm sure Touya will suspect soon, so make sure that you can reassure him or something, okay? I don't want him thinking that I'm going to be in any danger or stuff like that." _Even though I might be..._ Sakura thought.  
  
Once she saw her double nod, Sakura smiled and turned to the others, her bag of stuff at her side. Cerberus, Yue, Nakuru, Eriol, and Tomoyo were standing there as well. "Okay. We can open the portal now."  
  
Eriol turned to look at her. "Have you decided?" he asked.  
  
Sakura nodded. "It's not my choice. You are of your own free will. If you want to come with me, Eriol, then you can. If you don't, then fine, whatever."  
  
Eriol smiled, and nodded. "Then it is decided. I shall go with you."  
  
"Wait! What about me???" Tomoyo asked. "And Eriol as well now? We, too, have school and all..."  
  
"I've taken care of that," Eriol reassured her. "Don't worry about a thing there. "Spinel and Kaho have worked up a spell that is quite efficient. There should be no problems at all."  
  
Sakura nodded. "Okay then. Let's do this."


	4. Begin Quest In Shadow World With A Few P...

_Disclaimer: The Series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me._  
  
**Chapter Four: Begin Quest In Shadow World... With A Few Problems**  
_Day 4 - Earth_  
  
"What do I do?" Sakura asked.  
  
Eriol stood there, in a plain white T-shirt and jeans, but had his staff out, with his own pack on the ground next to his feet. "Come stand next to me," he told her, and waited for her to do so. The two stood in front of the book on the ground, with the guardians and Tomoyo behind them. Taking out a small plastic bag, Eriol took out a clear, white crystal, diamond-shaped, about the size of his thumb. He slowly bent down, and placed it right in the middle of the book of the seal.  
  
Then, Eriol took Sakura's hand into his, and said in a clear, crisp voice, "repeat after me." Sakura nodded. "_Forever borders raining down."  
  
"Forever borders raining down."  
  
"Crush and destroy them, burned to the ground."  
  
"Crush and destroy them, burned to the ground."  
  
"Secret locks, I have found the keys."  
  
"Secret locks, I have found the keys."  
  
"Open Shadow World, let this be."  
  
"Open Shadow World, LET THIS BE!!!"_  
  
Suddenly, a gust of wind started to swirl from the book, and rose up, expanding in the room.  
  
"Eriol," Sakura said with a warning tone in her voice, "I don't think that my dad's going to like the way this room will look afterwards."  
  
"Don't worry!" he yelled above the wind. "Your brother will help you pick up the mess afterwards!"  
  
Sakura practically facefaulted. "That's not what I meant!" she said.  
  
Suddenly, sparks of lightning started to crackle from the center of the wind, and a beam of light shot up to the ceiling.  
  
"There it is!!!" Eriol shouted. "The portal!! Let's go!!!" Without letting go of her hand, Eriol grabbed onto his pack, while Sakura did the same, and jumped forward, into the beam. Before she got in, Sakura bent down to grab the Book. "NO!!" Eriol yelled, a bit too late. "If you pick it up, the portal will disappear, and the rest won't-" Eriol's sentence was cut in half when he disappeared.  
  
"Tomo-" Sakura started, a distressed look on her face, realizing just what she had done.  
  
"Nooo!! Sakura!" Tomoyo yelled, reaching up to grab Sakura's shoulder, but missed, when her entire body faded away, along with the light. The guardians just started to move forward, but the whole thing was futile. Tomoyo blinked when she fell forward onto the book, which Sakura failed to grab, but was able to misalign the pattern, which caused the portal fizzed out. "No," Tomoyo whispered, her eyes widening. "No... Sakura...." She clenched her hand into a fist.  
  
"Oh, God..." Cerberus whispered. "We did not even get a chance to move..."  
  
"Well," Yue sighed, nervously raking his fingers through his hair, "at least Sakura and Eriol have their magic to protect them until we can get another spell to open up the portal, and another one to track them down."  
  
"That's not true," Tomoyo whispered, never looking up from where she was. She sat there on her knees, trembling slightly as she finally turned to them, holding something in her hands that caused them all to suck in their breathes.  
  
It was Sakura's key-necklace.  
  
"She... the book. It's still here. Her cards are all still here," Tomoyo said in a trembling voice. "And I accidentally grabbed her wand. I snapped the string. She's in another world, Yue, Cerberus. Sakura is in another world, without her cards, and without her wand. She doesn't have any magic at ALL!"  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Crossroads_  
  
_ "Sakura... Sakura..." somebody was whispering.  
  
Sakura shivered as she was about to wrap her arms around herself. It's cold- she started to think, when somebody jerked her hand back away from her. Then, Sakura realized that she was holding her pack in one hand, and holding onto somebody else's hand in another.  
  
"Let's go. The portal to the Shadow World is on the other side." Sakura looked up, and saw Eriol staring down at her. "You cannot let go of my hand," he told her. "We were lost."  
  
"What?!" Sakura gasped.  
  
"It is my fault," he whispered, shaking his head. "I was so freaking stupid, and I totally forgot to tell you the rules."  
  
"What happened?" she asked, looking around, and found that she was surrounding by a never-ending field of bright light and white mist. "Where are we?"  
  
"You were too hasty, and picked up the book. Damn it, Sakura. Once you did that, the road between the two worlds collapsed. You broke the alignment of the crystal and the book. They are not to be moved."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes casting down as she sat on the floor.  
  
Eriol looked down, and his eyes softened. Bending down, while he never let go of her hand, Eriol whispered softly, "I was cursing at myself, Sakura. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound as if it was all your fault. I should have known that there were some stuff that I should've told you, but we were all in such a hurry that I never gave it a second thought."  
  
"It's still my fault," she whimpered. "Now we're without our guardians. Tomoyo's not here."  
  
"At least we have our magic," Eriol sighed in relief. Then, he gave her hand a small tug, and said with a wearied voice, "come on, Sakura. I told you already. It's not all your fault." Sakura looked up at him. _He implied that it's not all my fault, but that would mean that some of it IS my fault! Why... why... HOW COULD HE?!_ "Okay, I told you that we were lost. But we are not now. I found the portal to the Shadow World. We just have to jump through it before it closes."  
  
"Wait. Why can't we go back?" she asked, looking up him with a spark of hope in her eyes. "I mean, can't we just go back the way we came in?"  
  
Eriol shook his head gravely, immediately killing that bit of hope in her. "The portal to Earth that we opened is closed, but the one to the Shadow World is still opened, considering how nobody has gone in yet. But still, these portals are opened for a short while at the most. So come on," he persisted. "We MUST get out of here. Do you not wish to find Syaoran?!"  
  
Sakura's eyes widened. In that short instant, she realized that she had forgotten about Syaoran. Quickly getting up to her feet, she looked at Eriol. "Come on," she said, her jaws set tightly. "Show me the way."  
  
Eriol nodded, and started to pull her towards a direction.  
  
"What is this place anyway?" Sakura asked as they jogged a bit.  
  
"This is the Crossroads, a place which leads to other worlds. Usually, one would never wander off the road while they are here. They would not even notice this place, because the light just takes seconds to pull you from your own world to the one that you wish to go to. But there are always exceptions, I guess. Like this one."  
  
"Can we go to the other worlds?"  
  
Eriol shook his head. "In order to do so, we would need a 'key' to open a portal to them. Some keys are harder to find than others. The key to the Shadow World was the crystal that I had with me. To other worlds, it could be a plant, or mineral. Or maybe even an animal. Each key is different, and the portal would only open to those who possess magic."  
  
Nervously, Sakura asked, "are you sure that we can get to the portal?"  
  
Eriol turned his head around to smiled softly at her, his eyes showed contentment. "We're here," he whispered, and continued to run forward.  
  
Sakura didn't even get a chance to see where Eriol was running to when she felt herself get enveloped by warm light. Sakura closed her eyes, letting herself go to this feeling.  
  
Seconds passed, and then, minutes. Warm... So warm... To warm to let go...  
  
"Sakura..." she heard a faraway voice all. "Sakura..."  
  
Reluctantly, Sakura groaned, and slowly opened her eyes.  
_  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Shadow World_  
  
It turns out that people didn't get any breaks. Not one.  
  
"How can a person work so long without collapsing??" Syaoran huffed.  
  
Tgaeh shrugged. "We all have gotten used to it. This is what one must do for a living, and you must get used to it, whether you enjoy it or not."  
  
"But..." Syaoran sighed, deciding to not continue with that question. "How can they tell if somebody slacks off or not?"  
  
"Slack off?" Tgaeh blinked.  
  
"I mean, if a person gets lazy and just doesn't want to do the work?"  
  
Tgaeh quickly went back to putting rocks in his basket, and walked off after he filled his up. Quickly, not wanting to cause any suspicions, Syaoran filled his up and followed after Tgaeh, ignoring the crying pain his muscles were shouting out to him.  
  
"Hey!" Syaoran hissed. "What is it? Do they find out?"  
  
As Tgaeh dumped his batch of rocks away into the demolition pile, he glared at Syaoran. "What do you think?! If they can find out when one wishes to rebel, don't you think they would know? They have eyes all around, and it bothers me up to a frenzy state, Li, but they do. We can talk about what we wish, but we must work. Of course, when words of revolution comes out of your mouth, they find out as well. It's hard to conceal everything here. We have no clue how it works, but they know."  
  
"Well, I was just curious," Syaoran mumbled as they went to pick up more rocks. "Hey... what is the point of doing all of this? There's just going to be another pile of rocks here."  
  
"Yes, well, this is where the discarded material goes. They destroy it after everything here is cleared and moved there."  
  
"How do they do it?"  
  
"Magic," Tgaeh shrugged. "We are not allowed to see it. They put up an illusion when it happens, and clears everyone out."  
  
"Aren't there any who has stayed behind to try to sneak a peek?"  
  
"Sneak a peek?" Tgaeh blinked again.  
  
"I mean," Syaoran said, trying to get his wording right, "has anybody ever spied to see what happens when they do that?"  
  
Tgaeh shuddered. "Yes," he muttered. "I've heard. They never come back."  
  
Syaoran felt like hitting himself with the base of his hand. Duh! That'd be the usual, movie-like, and unrealistic answer! Why didn't he see that coming?  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Shadow World_  
  
"Sakura?" a worried voice cut into her head.  
  
Sakura opened her eyes slowly, seeing a bit of a blur at first. That face structure... she thought to herself silently. _Those eyes... caring... But... what color? Could it... Could he..._ "L... Li?" she managed to whisper out in a hoarse voice.  
  
"No. Wake up, Sakura. We're in the Shadow World."  
  
Sakura opened her eyes. "Eriol!" she gasped, and jerked up. He was crouched down, staring at her face, not holding her hand anymore. They were sitting on the side of a road. Shadow World sure did get its name right. The entire place looked gloomy, especially with those clouds up in the sky. The ground was made of soil, and tiny pebbles, while the road was distinctive with it's pathway marked out clearly.  
  
"Yes. Me. Not Syaoran," Eriol stated flatly. "Come on, Sakura. You should really get up. We have a lot of road to get along."  
  
"But... where are we? I know we're in the Shadow World, but how are we supposed to get to Syaoran? Do you know where he is?" she asked.  
  
"Well... I was thinking that we should check if we have everything we need. Just in case, Sakura, you know. Look in to our packs and all..."  
  
Sakura nodded. "That's a good idea." Quickly, she grabbed her bag, when she froze, realizing something. "Oh, dear, no," she whispered in shock.  
  
Eriol turned to look at her. "What?" he asked. "Is something really missing?"  
  
Sakura slowly turned to look at him. "I... I left my book of cards back on Earth... remember?" she whispered, and soon saw that Eriol understood what she was talking about. "I was picking it up," she realized, "when Tomoyo tried to stop it. When she did that, I lost my grip on it, and it slipped from my hands. Oh, no. I can't do magic here. I don't have my cards!!"  
  
"Well, you at least have your wand, right?" he asked uncertainly.  
  
"Yes," Sakura nodded, moving her hand to finger the small key. "Of course I d-" When she felt nothing, she stopped her sentence, and pressed her fingers around her neck, searching for the piece of string. "My... my wand. Where is my key?!" she panicked. Quickly, Sakura turned to Eriol. "Eriol!" she whimpered. "I can't find any of my magical items!! What am I going to do?!"  
  
Eriol quickly walked up to Sakura and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "I'm pretty sure that it accidentally got off before you and I entered the portal to the Crossroads. Tomoyo, or the guardians, might be taking care of it right now. Just calm down, Sakura. I need you to calm down. Remember, I have magic as well. All is not lost."  
  
"Oh..." Sakura moaned. "What a way to start this!"  
  
Eriol's lips moved up to a smirk, as if smiling at the irony of it all. "Yes," he replied. "It seems that luck is just not with us today. Well, my bag checks in, though. I suggest that we start down one way, and I know the best way to do so."  
  
"You do?" Sakura sniffed.  
  
Eriol nodded. Quickly, he took his own key out, and said the enchanted words. If their bad luck continued, that meant that Eriol could not use his magic here. But luckily, one thing went right, and his key expanded to its true form. Eriol quickly walked up to the road, and held his wand to the ground. Then, he took a step back, with his grip still on his wand while he turned to explain this to Sakura. "There is a very magical way to do this..." he whispered.  
  
Sakura watched with anticipation. Eriol then stepped back, and let his wand go. It fell to the left side of the road. Eriol smiled satisfyingly. "We go that way," he said in a baby voice, pointing to the left.  
  
Sakura felt herself fume with anger. "ERIOL!!!"  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Earth_  
  
"Oh... God..." Tomoyo murmured, her hands trembling as they held her face. "What am I going to do? What are we going to do? HOW are we going to do what we are going to do?"  
  
"Shh..." Cerberus mumbled, walking up to her stroke her cheek with his own. "We will call on Kaho and Spinel to here as well. The five of us should be able to come up with something. But," he said, backing up to look her in the eye, "you must stay strong, Tomoyo. We need you to look as if everything is well. The Mirror and you must pretend if Sakura's father or Toya should come up here. Please, Tomoyo."  
  
Tomoyo took in deep breaths, and nodded. "I'm sorry. I feel like a blubbering idiot, and after all the crying that Sakura's done in the past few days, this really is way too much. I should not start as well."  
  
"Master..." Mirror whispered softly. "Will she be fine?"  
  
Yue nodded to her. "Yes. We will make sure that she will be. I will go get her right now."  
  
"I'm coming along," Nakuru said, her look of shock showing that what just happened was still affecting her greatly. "I don't think that I can stay in one place for very long right now. Just... I'll come with you," she told Yue determinedly. He didn't object.  
  
After they left, Cerberus quickly changed back to Kero, his look of wariness still on his face. "Sakura..." he whispered.  
  
"What about Eriol?" Tomoyo asked. "He's going to be fine, too, right? I mean, he'll be able to protect Sakura from everything... right?"  
  
Kero shrugged. "I really don't know. He probably can, up to a certain extent. But if they run into whoever captured the kid, there's no saying if they can do much. Sakura's magical items were left here. Those who started this probably stripped the kid of anything magical he had on him as well, like his scrolls, or he might have been able to do stuff, instead of picking up those pebbles as we saw before."  
  
Tomoyo shook her head. "This is not a good omen... So much bad things happening all at the same time. This is not what we need."  
  
"Yes..." Kero agreed. "What we need is for you to turn on the television, and pretend that you and Sakura are watching it. Or do your homework, or whatever it is that you need to do. Just make sure that Sakura's family does not suspect a thing. I will be waiting outside the window to stand guard."  
  
Tomoyo nodded. "Yes. I should do that. I really so. It'll put my mind off of it for a short while."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Shadow World_  
  
Eriol grinned sheepishly while he scratched his head. "Sorry," he apologized honestly. "I was just hoping that this would've lighten up the mood a bit. You just looked so devastated and worried that I couldn't bear it. Okay, Sakura. I'll do it for real, this time."  
  
Sakura sighed as she shook her head. How could Eriol even think about doing something so silly right now. But as she thought about it, a small smile played on her lips a bit. What a silly way to cheer her up. It wasn't going to work.  
  
Eriol picked up his wand, and waved it in the air before he held it up to the sky, mumbling enchantments. Suddenly, a blue lighting beam crackled as it dove to the ground, pointing to their left. Eriol turned to smile at her. "I told you! We are going left. See? Either way would've worked just fine." Then, Eriol shrunk his wand back down, and put it away. He walked back up to her and picked up his pack.  
  
Sakura followed him down the road, a bit silent. Then she asked, "how did you do that?"  
  
"I did a tracking spell to find the closest person whose magic was similar to ours. It worked out just fine," he said. Suddenly, Eriol frowned once more. "But..."  
  
"But..."  
  
"I sensed that someone realized it when I did that spell, as he or she saw me. We should still be on our toes, Sakura. I doubt that this is going to get any easier than it already was."  
  
"Man..." Sakura groaned. "And it's already hell. I _really _hate to see it get any worse..."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Shadow World_  
  
"We all have it written down somewhere, the workers, that is," Tgaeh said at the end of the day. Syaoran groaned as he stumbled along behind him. "It's a prophecy passed down from generation to generation, always in our heads."  
  
"But... don't you guys like ever lose hope of it and all?" Syaoran asked.  
  
"No," Tgaeh smiled. "We believe that it would happen, and now you are here."  
  
"Oh," Syaoran nodded, as if understanding what Tgaeh was saying. There might be a savior, but he sure doubted that it was going to be him. "Here. As in, this place. Like, this world, or this city, right?"  
  
Tgaeh nodded. They were leaving the area to walk down to the village.  
  
"Cool," Syaoran quipped. "Where is here?"  
  
"What?" Tgaeh asked.  
  
"I don't even know what this world is," Syaoran hissed. "Where am I?!"  
  
Tgaeh blinked. "You are in the city Lyrra, of the world _Hakgon_. That is the name of our world. It means 'Dark Kingdom."  
  
Syaoran listened as those words entered his head, and then, groaned. "The Dark Kingdom. Or, in other words, the _Shadow World_," he realized.  
  
Tgaeh nodded. "How did you know?"  
  
Syaoran shook his head. "My ancestors have always known of this world. It is where heavy magic lies, right?"  
  
"Well, yes, for those whom possess it. Many do, but many do not as well."  
  
Syaoran felt like throwing up. _The Shadow World..._ he thought with dread. _I'm never getting out of here..._  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Shadow World_  
  
Sakura sighed as they walked down the path. "So what are we suppose to look for? I mean, I don't think that your wand can really give you specific directions on where Syaoran is, right? And considering how I don't have my wand or cards, you're the only one that can save us, right?"  
  
Eriol shrugged. "Hopefully, the rest of them will try to find a way to get here soon. And if they do, I have no clue how they are going to find us."  
  
"Then, maybe we should hope for them to not be able to find a way, huh?" Sakura asked.  
  
"In a way," Eriol replied, "that's one of the best things for them to do. The Shadow World is dangerous enough with just the two of us and Syaoran here. More could really disrupt it's stability."  
  
"What? How?" Sakura asked.  
  
"We can only stay here a limited amount of time because we don't belong here. This world is made to serve those they make. We came here uninvited."  
  
"So we're like invaders?" Sakura said, wishing that they could just shrink the topic away.  
  
Eriol nodded. "And when invaders enter a place they don't belong in, the country, or world, tends to protect itself. And the Shadow World is made of very strong magic. Unfortunately, most of it consists of dark magic, too. The Shadow World truly lives up to its name."  
  
"But... does the dark magic come up by itself?"  
  
Eriol shook his head. "No. The magic here is pure. As pure as crystal water. Those whom occupy this world taints it."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Shadow World_  
  
"Here. This is the prophecy," Tgaeh said, showing Syaoran a long piece of scroll. "My mothers and fathers before my own wrote it down eons ago. _That _is how long she has ruled, and how long we have been hoping for freedom."  
  
Syaoran unrolled the piece of paper, and rolled his eyes. "I can't read this," he scoffed. "It's in your language. It's completely amazing that I can understand what you say and you can understand me. Here. You're going to have to tell me what's on it."  
  
Tgaeh raised an eyebrow and looked at Syaoran. Then, he shrugged and recited,  
  


_"Memories disappear as thee enters our world  
New thoughts replace and all unfurl  
Parents knew but spoke no words  
For fear of death, and of the hurt  
Thee who comes has lost thou past  
Magic hidden, will be cast  
Forever drops of freedom rain  
Through all of Lyrra, prison drained  
Thee brings with thou a wizard watch  
Followers approach, for all shall march  
Eons past before our savior comes  
But when thee does, justice be done"_  


  
Syaoran smirked. "You have got to be kidding me," he said. "I'm not that person!"   
  
Tgaeh shook his head. "Syaoran, my good friend, you are him. You did not come from our world, didn't you?" After he saw Syaoran reluctantly shake his head, he continued, "and you have magic? You could be known as a wizard, and you ENTERED our world, am I right? And your parents might not have wanted to tell you."  
  
Syaoran bit his lip.  
  
"You can't lie about it, Syaoran. You are the one that the prophet speaks of, and you _will _be the one to save us. Please, Li Syaoran. I guess that this is a lot to ask for, but there is nothing much that can save us all. The master, I am sure that she is getting stronger. Sooner or later, we will be slaves for eternity."  
  
"And that seems like a long time," Syaoran nodded. "But what makes you so sure that it's not going to be later on? Your savior might just be about ten years later or something, you know..."  
  
"No, I do not," Tgaeh said, clenching his jaws together. "I don't know if I will ever be able to tell Brache and Sharhn of justice. I don't know if I will ever be able to show them of beautiful lands _beyond _this prison. Beyond this cage." Tgaeh looked up at Syaoran. "But I can't force you to do so, either. It will be your choice, for all is free. We just have to show it to the world."


	5. Bad Predicaments

_Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura the series does not belong to me._  
  
**Chapter Five: Bad Predicaments  
**  
_Day 4 - Earth_  
  
"Well?" Tomoyo asked when Yue and Nakuru returned.  
  
Yue shook his head. "We cannot do anything until Kaho can figure something out. She said that her research can take quite a while. In fact, it could take _weeks_!" He cursed silently under his breath. "It would be easier if we had the amount of power that Eriol possessed."  
  
"But we don't," Nakuru continued from Yue's part. "So all we can do is wait. Kaho is our best bet, Tomoyo. Until then, I suggest that we go as if everything was just fine. Please, Tomoyo," she said, turning to look at the girl, all humor gone from Nakuru's face. "I know that it sounds as if I am speaking directly to you, and in a way, I kind of am. We all have no problems with this. I'm not attending school anymore, and Kero can just stay here. Yukito won't remember a damned thing. You, Tomoyo, will remember all that goes on through your life."  
  
Tomoyo nodded. "I can't guarantee anything good, but I'll try. I... oh, I can't believe that this even happened!" she shouted in frustration.  
  
Nakuru crouched down next to Tomoyo and slowly picked her up. "Come now," she said in a surprisingly reasonable tone, "I will bring you home." Nakuru then nodded off to the others. "I assume that you all will do just fine?"  
  
Yue nodded. "I have no worries. Except my borrowed form will have some explaining to do." With those words, he walked back out of the window and flew off into the sky, which was gradually turning into night.  
  
Nakuru sighed. "I guess it is time for us to give up for the night. Let's go, Miss Tomoyo."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 4 - Shadow World_  
  
"Eriol," Sakura said wearily as they walked down the path, "the sun is going down..." Just as those words came out, the two of them watched as it sunk away from their view.  
  
"Well, I suggest that we put up a camp for the night then. Come on. Let's get off the road." With those words, Eriol gestured to with his head to the side of the road. They walked off the flat, rugged road to a more bumpy one. The forests were about fifty yards away on each side. Eriol sighed. He bent down to the ground as he mumbled a few words. When his wand appeared, he quickly pointed it straight to the ground. Suddenly, a dark circle of twenty feet in diameter appeared, and changed to the shape of a hole. "Come on, Sakura. Jump in."  
  
Nodding silently, she did so. But as she entered the hole, Sakura realized that it was all pitch black. There was no image of a wall to show how far she could go. It showed no steps to get back up, and the entire thing was about nine feet deep. After Eriol jumped in, he waved his hand in the air, still mumbling, and waited for a shimmering shield to appear before he stopped. "We can see out, but nobody can see in," he informed her.  
  
"How do we get back out?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"When I undo the spell, the ground will rise until it is on the right level. Don't worry about a thing, Sakura."  
  
"Well, what about these walls?" she asked, knocking on them in order to show that there was a barrier. "Why can't we see where they end?"  
  
Eriol sighed in exasperation. "Look, it's only a small room to stay in. You don't have to be so picky about it."  
  
"Well, fine," she mumbled as she sat down with her legs crossed.  
  
Shaking his head, Eriol shrunk his wand back down. Then, he blinked. "Oh, darn!" Eriol cursed, slamming the base of his hand to his forehead. "I'm going to go get some twigs and branches to light a fire. I'll be right back, Sakura. Don't move," Eriol said as he started to get up.  
  
"No! But!" Sakura cried, freezing him in his tracks. When she saw that she got his full attention, Sakura continued, "why can't you just... you know, use your magic and all? You can easily just get a small fire started, and just let it float there the entire night."  
  
Eriol shook his head. "I know I can, but it'd be better if I can save my magic for more useful things, Sakura. I brought matches with me, okay? All we need is some wood." With those words, Eriol jumped up, through the shield, and ran off.  
  
Sakura shook her head. "Show off," she muttered when she saw that he could easily get out of this freaking hole. She remember back then, in fifth grade, when he would try his best to conceal his talents. Never showed more than he was supposed to. These days, though... Eh, he didn't do _too _much, but still! It was more than just smiling and giving her a rose from a bouquet he had.  
  
Sakura smiled at that memory as she huddled her knees to herself, just sitting there. He had such a very warm smile, too. There she was, just sitting there, doing _something_. She had forgotten what it was. And suddenly, a red rose popped up right in front of her eyes. She had looked up, and saw Eriol smiling with his eyes closed, the rose gently held in front of her. _He had such a gentle hold on things... and he still does..._ Sakura giggled. She had heard later on that Syaoran was _fuming _when he saw that happen. Oh... back then, she didn't even notice Syaoran's changing emotions, because she was still too infatuated with Yukito. Ah, wonderful life.  
  
Sakura felt the feeling of contentment as she started to remember the basketball game, too. Now she realized how pissed Syaoran was when he realized that he had to go against Eriol. But there he was. Eriol was just standing there and smiling at him. That smile, Sakura realized, never wore off. He'd always have it on him. He had it after she defeated him in their confrontation. He had it when he first came to their school. He always had it. He had it when he joked to her with the whole letting the stick go to see which way they should walk.  
  
"What are you so happy about?" somebody's voice interrupted into her thoughts.  
  
Sakura snapped out of her daydream, and saw Eriol there, kneeling on the ground as he placed the branches in the center of the floor. Smiling at her, the curiosity was shown on his face. Sakura smiled back. "Oh... It's nothing," she said. "It's nothing at all."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


Day 4 - Shadow World  
  
Syaoran sat down in front of the doorstep and stared up to the sky. No stars. There were absolutely no stars here. But... "Two moons?" he whispered, and held his arm out, as if reaching towards them. _Beautiful_... he thought. The other night, he collapsed just when he got to Tgaeh's house. Tonight, he'd stay up for a few more minutes before he'd go to rest.  
  
_The prophecy..._ he remembered, _spoke of bringing a 'wizard watch' along as well. That means... that if I AM this so called savior, then... that means that I dragged somebody to this world along with me._  
  
Syaoran shook his head. Nobody could get into this world, right? He doubted Sakura possessed enough magic to get in here. But... she was always tenacious.  
  
_What about Eriol?_ he thought, and got an immediate sense of annoyance surge up in him. Didn't matter if he was his ancestor or not, Syaoran could've sworn that Eriol really DID have a little something for Sakura. But then again, he was always nice like that to everybody. Syaoran shook his head. How did this thought come up again? Oh, yeah!  
  
"Damn it!" Syaoran cursed under his breath. If anybody had enough power to get here to save him from this place, it would be Eriol. But then again... beggars can't be choosers. "Man..." he muttered. "Why do these things have to happen to _me_?!"  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


Day 7 - Shadow World  
  
Sakura groaned as she woke up. "Where are we...?" she asked as she sat up, wearing a long t-shirt and sweats for when she sleeps.  
  
"We were always are, Sakura, in the Shadow World," Eriol said, smiling down at her. "Come on. I let you sleep half the day away, and we need to get back up on our feet, on the road."  
  
"What?!" Looking up, Sakura saw that the sun was shining down through the shield. "Why didn't you wake me up, Eriol?! We could've covered a lot of space and road by now! Why, we might've even found civilization!"  
  
Eriol gave her another smile again. "Well, we've been traveling for quite a while in these past days. Last night, you fell asleep without any _food_, either," Eriol pointed out. "So I just decided maybe you deserve a bit of a rest. But, well, your rest is over. Your lunch is over there, Sakura. I'm going to continue picking up and clean this place out before we move."  
  
Sakura glared at him, not to his surprise at all, and he hastily continued, "it's really no use to yell at me, Sakura. You should be hungry by now. Come on..." he persisted. "Yelling at me won't make it so that we get the time back, okay? So you might as well eat."  
  
Sakura sighed wistfully as she crawled out of her sleeping bag to where the dying fire laid. She stared at the food in front of her, and then looked at Eriol. "You brought sushi with you?" she asked, as she took a small bite out of one.  
  
Eriol turned to look at her from where he was packing, and shook his head. "I found them in your pack, and just thought that I should make them for you."  
  
"Wait a minute..." Sakura whispered dangerously, narrowing her eyes at him, as she started to edge towards him. "You looked in to my pack?!"  
  
"Hey!" Eriol cried hastily. "I didn't _see _anything! The food was on top! At least, the sushi were. Come on, Sakura! What are you getting so uptight for?!"  
  
Suddenly, Sakura stopped in her tracks, and something popped into her head. She chewed the sushi. And again. "Tomoyo..." she mumbled in realization. "This is how Tomoyo's sushi tastes like. She must have put them in my bag before we left. But, she could've just left them in her own... Oh, geez." Sakura sighed as she felt herself tear up at the thought of everybody not being here with her. Yeah, she didn't want to get them in danger and all, but it would've been nice, too, to see them here with her. Then, she remembered that she had shoved all her clothes to the bottom of the pack, and a cloth covered them. So there was no way that Eriol could've gone through any of her... private stuff. Oh, God. Now she felt stupid.  
  
Sakura got up abruptly. "I'm going to go find a lake to change and-" she started to inform Eriol when something clattered out of her. The two of them stared at the object that fell out of her clothes. Eriol picked it up delicately and looked at Sakura from where he knelt. Then, he stared at it some more, examining what it was, and what was in it.  
  
"Why did you break this necklace, Sakura?" he asked, holding it up by the locket, with the golden chain broken in two, hanging in the air.  
  
Sakura bit her lip. "I-I was angry, and wasn't thinking right." She then slowly rested her hand on the back of her neck. It turns out that when she tore it off, a part of the chain cut slightly into her neck. It stopped bleeding quickly, but she could still remember the slight stinging pain she felt after she finished crying. There was also a small scar there, but hardly noticeable. At least, that was what she thought.  
  
Until she saw Eriol staring at the results of the small wound.  
  
Eriol got up, took her hand off of her neck with his own, and lifted her hair up with his other to stare at the wound. His closeness caused Sakura's breathing to become unstable, knowing that he was weighing everything he saw. All Sakura could do was look at his shirt, trying her best to not show how jumpy she was with him so close. Thank God she was shorter than him, coming up only to his nose.  
  
"This... you did this on that night, didn't you?" he whispered as he let her hair go, falling back down her back.  
  
Sakura gulped as she shook her head. Maybe he'd believe her.  
  
Then she heard him sigh in exasperation.  
  
Or maybe not.  
  
"Sakura," he said in a clear voice, finally backing up from her, "if we're supposed to do this, then you're going to have to be truthful and trustful to me. I can't do anything if you can't confide or have faith in me." Then, he handed back the necklace to her.  
  
Sakura nodded meekly, her face flushed with embarrassment as she accepted the necklace, which he held in front of her for her to take. Sakura grabbed it back, and was about to stuff it back in her pocket when she noticed something. "Hey," she said, looking at the whole necklace, seeing that the chain was once connecting again. "You fixed it." Sakura looked up at him. "You said that you wouldn't use your magic for such small matters, though."  
  
Eriol smiled considerately at her. "There is a pond just a about ten yards into the forest. It's perfectly safe and pure. I'll wait here for you while I continue to clean up." Then, he stood there thoughtfully, before he continued, "and... that didn't seem to be such a small matter for you, Sakura. Wear it again this time, okay? Wear it with no fear, now. It's all going to be all right."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


Day 5 - Shadow World  
  
Syaoran looked at his fingers after he filled up his basket. _Ouch_... he thought as he saw another cut form.  
  
"Here!" Tgaeh said, throwing him a skin-bag filled with water. Syaoran gratefully took it and splashed the water on his hands, washing away all the dirt he could from the wound. Suddenly, he felt a hand slapped on to his shoulder, and he jumped.  
  
Syaoran quickly turned around, and came face to face with a guard.  
  
"What is it?" he asked.  
  
"You are to come with me," the guard ordered. He wore breeches of white cloth that hung loosely, until they reached his boots of dark, black leather, which were up to his knees. There, his pants gets tucked in to the boots. He had on layers of clothing, and a piece of chest armor on, with a symbol of a two upside-down hooks, connected to look like ram horns. And in between the tips of the horns was a picture of a diamond. On his head, he wore a helmet of gray color, with streaks of silver in random places. Syaoran looked around, and saw that this was what a usual guard had on.  
  
Quickly, he wiped his hands on his dirty jeans, and asked, "why should I?"  
  
"Because, sir, if you do not, I will have to force you to. All we want you to do is to check out your new household. So come with me."  
  
Syaoran muttered as he walked off, following the guard. He found them walking away from the site, towards a large palace. "Do we really have to come all the way here?"  
  
The guard nodded shortly. "It is necessary."  
  
They walked up a long marble stairway, leading up to higher ground, and up to the crystal white castle. Syaoran felt embarrassed as he realized that he was like a stick in the eye here, with his muddy and rag-like clothes. Heck, even his jeans didn't look like jeans anymore. He takes bathes every day, but still, even with an hour of work, the sweat and dirt comes right back on to him, as if he were a magnet or something.  
  
Suddenly, they stopped at the main doors, which reach up so high that Syaoran could've sworn there became part of the roof.  
  
"Clearance," the guard said to two other ones standing in front of the doors. They nodded, and moved quickly out of the way.  
  
He opened the doors, and led Syaoran in, who's curiosity couldn't be held back as he stared around. He stared around, and gasped at the strong magic he felt in here, which almost brought him to his knees and caused his head to reel. There were floating pillars of clear crystals to hold the entire place together. The ceiling was decorated with a colorful painting of angels, where they flew around, as if they themselves were alive. The window panes rippled, as if they were water. The floor itself glimmered of glitter and jewels, even though there were none. Syaoran felt sweat trickling down his face as he tried to take control of himself. _Strong magic... TOO strong..._ he realized. _Tgaeh was right when he said 'master' was very powerful. Damn! How am I supposed to go against her and walk out alive?!_  
  
Syaoran then looked back at the guard, and his eyes widened when he saw a protective shield over him. No wonder he was able to walk so casually without needing to strain anymore than he did. Why didn't they give him one? Couldn't they see that he was struggling to just walk?! They walked up another flight of stairs to a hallway which Syaoran couldn't see down on the first floor. _Illusions as well?!_ he thought. They walked all the way down to the end of the hallway, to a pair of golden doors. By now, Syaoran figured that this _couldn't _be about his household at all.  
  
Who'd figured.  
  
"Umm..." he managed to pick up his voice. "What's your name?" he asked as casually as he could with his strained voice.  
  
"It is not for you to know."  
  
"So... Can I call you Mushi?"  
  
"Mushi?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," Syaoran grinned. "In my language, that means bug." The guard was silent. This proved it. Syaoran had a more important reason to be here. If the guard didn't even attack him, then it meant that Syaoran was important, and was not meant to be harmed. "Oookay," Syaoran quipped. "Mushi it is."  
  
When they got to the doors, 'Mushi' turned to glare at him, though the rest of his face remained the same. Then, he kneeled to the ground, with his head bowed as the doors swung open to his back. Syaoran just stood there, not knowing what to do.  
  
"Thank you, _bahrrn_. You may go now. I shall speak to him myself," a numinous voice whispered softly, but able to be heard, even from such a distance.  
  
The guard stood back up, never turning around. He looked at Syaoran. "Go."  
  
Syaoran nodded. "See ya, Mushi." After he watch Mushi leave, Syaoran turned back to look in through the doors. An illusion appeared of a gray-colored rose, blood flowing from the bud, down the stem, and dripping from its tip. Syaoran narrowed his eyes, and walked in through the illusion.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


Day 5 - Earth  
  
"Hey, Eriol," a girl grinned and winked at him.  
  
"Eriol!" another waved from across the yard as he, Sakura, and Tomoyo walked to class.  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Disgusting," he spat.  
  
"Well, Mr. Spinel, what do you expect?" Tomoyo smiled. "They're girls. So what if they find you hot?"  
  
"They do not find _me _so-called 'hot.' They find my _master _hot!! I cannot tolerate this!!!" he said, his voice getting higher and higher in pitch and sound with each voice.  
  
"Whoa! Whoa, calm down, Mr. Spinel," Tomoyo hushed, and then turned to Sakura, who was silent as she stared at her surroundings. "Mirror, how are you doing in Sakura's appearance?"  
  
"Everything is fine, Miss Tomoyo," she smiled. "Hopefully I can do a good job of imitating her."  
  
"Mr. Spinel sure isn't. Mr. Spinel! Eriol is constantly smiling! Not frowning!"  
  
"Yooohooooo!! Yo, Eriol!" another one cooed.  
  
Spinel turned to smile at her, his eyes narrowing and his mouth curving up to a sneer. "I shall kill you for looking at my master this way..." he whispered low enough for only Mirror and Tomoyo to hear. Then he turned to them. "How was that?" he asked.  
  
"That is not a genuine happy smile!" Tomoyo protested.  
  
"It is a very genuine smile," Spinel sniffed, turning back to her. "It shows how I really feel about that teenager over there."  
  
"Oh..." Tomoyo said worriedly, "I sure hope that we can hurry up to go find Eriol and Sakura to go find Syaoran. I don't think I can keep up this charade for very long... Including the bad cast..."  
  
"Hey!" Spinel glared at Tomoyo. "Are you saying that I'm very bad at acting?!"  
  
"We're never going to make it through this..." she continued to worry, not noticing that Spinel was still glaring at her.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Day 7 - Shadow World  
  
"Oh, man... I can't believe it," Eriol whispered, looking and pointing ahead. "Look!"  
  
Sakura squinted her eyes, and she gasped. "There's smoke. So... there must be a town there! Let's go!"  
  
Eriol started to run, when he shouted to her, "wait a minute, Sakura! Stop!"  
  
Sakura jerked around to look at him, her hair now tied in a very loose ponytail. "What is it, Eriol? Look! We're almost in civilization! We're almost there!"  
  
Eriol nodded. "But what if they find that we don't wear the same clothes as they do? What are we going to do then? I mean, look at us! We're wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Something tells me that this place is more medieval than modern. We need to think this through first. Do you have a long cloak of any sort?" Seeing Sakura shake her head, Eriol continued, "okay. I have an extra one. Come on. Let's put them on first."  
  
Sakura sighed as she crouched down next to him. "And you say that _you're _getting irrational," she muttered. "Nice way of showing it, Eriol."  
  
"I just thought that we might need it, you know. Here. It's a blue one." With those words, Eriol handed her a long, blue cloak, while he took a black one for himself. Sakura put it on, and realized that it was so long that there was about two feet left to be dragged on the floor.  
  
Eriol bent down and waved his hand on the extra cloth. It receded, leaving it to be just the right size for Sakura. Eriol then stood back up, putting his hood on. His cloak was just right for him. He looked at Sakura, who was doing the same thing, and said, "now we can go."  
  
"Oh, Eriol," she said thankfully as they started to walk, instead of running all the way there like before, "where would I be without you?"  
  
"Um... Well, for one thing," he said, starting to count off on his fingers, "you wouldn't have a nice, black, dark place to sleep in at night. You wouldn't have had nice sushi to eat this afternoon. You wouldn't have gotten out of the Crossroads. You wouldn't have-""See?" she said hastily, purposely interrupting him, "I rest my case. Thank you. Thank you very much."  
  
"Yes, well, I'm here to help you, Sakura, just as anybody else would. After all, we are all friends, are we not?"  
  
In ten minutes, they found their assumptions to be true. "YES!" Sakura laughed. "We found a town. Maybe we can ask questions about-"  
  
Suddenly, when the two of them took one more step, a loud, alarming noise shrieked from all over. They looked around, and saw spears shoot out from the ground, surrounding them into a circle. Eriol narrowed his eyes and threw his hand out, ready to knock them down to run for it. Sakura watched as his magic fizzed and turned down to the ground, disappearing.  
  
Sakura gulped. "Eriol? What's wrong?! Get us out of here!"  
  
Eriol turned to look at her, his eyes shining with alarm under his hood. "I don't understand!" he whispered urgently and loud enough for her to hear only. "My magic faded. It seems that my powers don't affect these traps..."  
  
Sakura grabbed onto his arm. "Eriol, give us weapons, then!" she cried desperately.  
  
He quickly nodded, and twirl his hand in front of him, instead of attacking anymore. Two sleek, sharp swords appeared. They were of a clear color, showing no details, but could see the outline of where to hold it and where to avoid to touch. "Here," he said, and handed one to her. "Please, Sakura. Be careful. They may not look it, but they can really hurt a person if you truly tried. It's a matter of will, remember? Be in control."  
  
Sakura nodded. "I understand," she whispered. "But... I don't understand how we got into this."  
  
"Well, we're going to find out," Eriol muttered as a small handful of troops started to walk towards them. "Get ready, Sakura."  
  
Then, the two of them stood back to back, ready for the spears to fall, and the soldiers to come.


	6. Unanswerable Questions

_ Disclaimer: The series Card-captor Sakura does not belong to me._  
  
**Chapter Six: Unanswerable Questions**  
  
_Day 5 - Shadow World_  
  
Syaoran entered the room, taking a step at a time. He breathed in the magic, and almost staggered in the response his body gave him. It was too much. WAY too much. Syaoran pressed his hand to his forward, stopping for a minute to take in another deep breath.  
  
"Well..." a voice filled with amusement said. "It seems that he can still walk. Very good, Li Syaoran."  
  
He looked up, and his eyes widened. She was not the same woman as before. And instead of dressing in something simple, she was decorated like a Christmas tree. "You gotta be kidding me right?" he smirked. "How can such a tainted woman like you wear white? It's definitely not your color."  
  
The woman wore a long, slim dress of white, shining as if a million lights were playing on it. She wore a collar made of little jewels sewn together. It ran and expanded from the base of her throat down about four inches before it connected with the cloth of the dress. Her sleeves were narrow, until they reached her elbow. There, it split and expanded, until the cloth reached the ground. She also had on a tiara. A big tiara, with two columns of tiny gems as well, linking down to hang in front of her face, each at the side of her face. The tiara itself was golden-colored. But then again, everything in here seemed to be of a bright sight.  
  
She smiled at him, her eyes glittering, and her dimples showing. She had smooth skin, which Syaoran couldn't help but notice. "I think that white does wonders for my appearance."  
  
"Yeah, it hides how hideous a serpent may be, luring in as many victims as she could," Syaoran spat back at her.  
  
She arched an eyebrow at him. "At least you admit that I look good."  
  
"What's a bahrrn?" Syaoran suddenly asked.  
  
"That is the word for 'guard'. Do you wish to become one?" she asked.  
  
Syaoran narrowed his eyes at her. "Okay. Here's the pop question of the day. I've asked you again and again, and this time, I want an answer. What is going on?!"  
  
"If you want to know, then..."  
  
"I don't know who you are, but I think that it's about time that you gave me _some _kind of an explanation. Come on, lady. You look like you belong to high school, you're my age. Yet, here you are, ruling over unhappy people. It's not gonna make me hate you much more than I already do. And I won't call you 'master.' You can rule that out."  
  
She cocked her head to one side, as if considering all that he was telling her, and nodded satisfactorily. "I shall give my name to you, then. Here, I am known as Master. But to the dwellers out there, I am given a different name. One which expresses what they feel for me. I am Dtarna, the _Efhnir_."  
  
"Efnear?" Syaoran blinked. "So what does this make you?"  
  
"That means," she grinned at him, "Dtarna can be loosely translated to 'forceful.' And _Efhnir_ is my land's word for, loosely translated again, 'being of ice and hate.' If you wish for the real meaning, my name means devil, and Efhnir means slave runner."  
  
Dtarna grinned at the expression on Syaoran's shocked face.  
  
"Yes," she whispered. "Welcome to _my _world."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Day 7 - Shadow World  
  
"Wait," Eriol said. "Have you ever held a sword in your hand before?"Sakura shook her head. "A baton, yeah. Um... I've used the sword card a few times-"  
  
Eriol sighed as he shook his head, and put his hand in front of the sword that she was holding. Suddenly, it faded away from her sight. "Hey!" Sakura protested.  
  
"Shh! I just don't want you to get hurt," he muttered, staring off at the still-walking soldiers.  
  
Sakura gulped as they continued to walk closer and closer. The men didn't wear much to protect them, for they had a small shield linked to their left arm, and a sword on their waist. They had no helmets on, but they had a shirt of armor protecting their chest. Wearing tattered leggings and dirty boots, the group consisted of eight men total. _Oh, God..._ Sakura thought desperately. _How are we supposed to defend ourselves from so many of them?!_  
  
"Who be you people?" a rough voice demanded once he walked up to them.  
  
Sakura was about to answer when Eriol gestured for her to stop. Then, Eriol turned to glared at them. "We do not mean harm. We-"  
  
"They belong to me, Kar!" another voice popped up. This time, it was a woman's.  
  
She panted as she ran up to them, her short, black hair sticking to her sweating face a bit. She wore a plain clothes of brown colors. "Sorry, Kar. I didn't know my brethren's folks did not have a pass with them. Scaani probably didn't give them one."  
  
The head soldier look at her with skepticism. Then, he turned to look at Eriol, who's face held no expression. He sighed and shook his head. "Fine, Klarne. But remember! Make sure that they do have one the next time they pass from town to town. Don't want trouble when there isn't any," he muttered. Then, he pointed at the spears, and they started to gradually recede back to the ground. The soldiers gradually walked away.  
  
Klarne turned to them. "Come on, my kin," she smiled, taking them both by the arms of their cloaks. "They're all waiting, and wondering where you've been."  
  
Eriol nodded. "I apologize for us taking so long." Slowly, he relaxed, and let his sword go, fading back away as he released his magic away.  
  
She shook her head. "No. It is not your fault. Come now." Then, she turned around, and walked off.  
  
Eriol grabbed Sakura's arm, and followed Klarne. Sakura stared at Eriol, confused._ What in the world is going on?!_  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 5 - Shadow World_  
  
Dtarna smiled at Syaoran, and walked up to him. Close up, Syaoran realized that she was just about his height. "I have a proposal for you," she whispered into his ear.  
  
Syaoran scoffed. "Sure. And I'm going to accept it like the good little boy I am," he said in a light and sarcastic tone.  
  
"I have much to offer you," she proposed, ignoring his sarcasm. "Stay with me. Let us rule together. You can never go back to the world you knew. I have closed up the portals to that place forever. And now, you have been given a taste of what peasant life is like, Syaoran. Say yes, and all this can be offered to you. All this, and me."  
  
Syaoran felt a bit of his hopes extinguish, but he refused to let it all go. Suddenly, a thought came into Syaoran's head. "Wait a minute... So you've sealed all of the portals away, am I right?"  
  
Dtarna nodded. "All of them."  
  
"Then... what am I supposed to be worried about?" he laughed. "Sakura can't get in here, meaning... You can't hurt her!" Syaoran turned to look at her, an expression of pure anger on his face. "You, miss, are a dead woman."  
  
"Oh?" she asked. "Do you really think so? Heh. I should have figured that one as slow-minded as you would believe that. Just because I can't open a portal does not mean that I cannot _hurt _the little girl. Think about it. A person of your magic level can hardly stand to be in here, for its magic is deep, and powerful. I don't need a portal in order to reach your world."  
  
Syaoran's eyes flashed. Dtarna then smiled again, slow. "If you do not wish to stay with me, then... there is something that you can do for me. Something that you can give me."  
  
Syaoran started to back up. "Heh. That's okay, ma'am. I don't know how you found out my name, and Sakura's, but there is no way that I'm listening to _you _anymore. Screw all of this." Then, he turned around, and started to walk away.  
  
Dtarna glared at his back, her gaze slicing into him. She picked her hand up, and held it out to her side. "Fine," she whispered, so only she could hear. "If I cannot get you to give it to me willingly, then I will use force." With those words, she ran forward, and held her hand straight at him, mumbling words as she did. Her fingertip touched the back of his head as Syaoran's eyes widened, tilting his face up as her magic seeped into his thoughts.  
  
"No..." he strained.  
  
Her lips twisted up in a corrupted smile. _It will be mine..._ she whispered to herself.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 7 - Shadow World_  
  
She quickly took the two into a building, and closed the door behind. The first floor had a counter, as if for people to check in to, and something close to a living room, with a couch and a couple chairs, with a table in the middle of it. Klarne turned around and drew a sign on the door with her finger. She watched as it glowed a slightly black color, before fading off. Then, Klarne turned to them, and said, "okay. You're safe now. Whoo! Can't believe we got away with that." Her lingo had totally changed now that they were in here.  
  
Eriol turned to look at her, taking his hood off. "Who are you?" he asked. "And why in the world would you want to save us? You do not know who we are, and we could be a danger to you right this very instant."  
  
Klarne's expression turned serious. "But you're not, aren't ya?" Then, she smiled again. "You can stay here for the night. I'm gonna go get some clothes, some tokens, and passes for you. I'll have them by tomorrow morning. Please, just stay here tonight and get a good rest." When Eriol and Sakura didn't answer, she continued to talk. "The bedrooms for you are upstairs. You can talk as you want, because I've sealed everything you will say. Only the three of us will hear, and only the three of us. I'm just going to go out now and run some errands. Feel free to do as you wish."  
  
"Who are you?" Sakura asked just as Klarne was about to turn around to walk out the door.  
  
"Me?" she blinked. Then, she regained her posture, and said, "Oh. Sorry. Guess I didn't explain, huh? Well, I'm like you guys. I'm from Earth." With those words, she walked out of the room.  
  
Sakura and Eriol turned to look at each other. "Earth?" they asked.  
  
"Then what is she doing here?" Sakura asked.  
  
"I don't know..." Eriol mumbled. "I have no clue how she got here, and why she's even staying here..."  
  
Sakura sighed as she slumped over to a chair, and sat down. "This place..." she mumbled. "It looks a lot like those cowboy pictures of the Old West, you know? In America?"  
  
"Well, I guess the Shadow World has its own ways of showing us which place is which."  
  
"And why can we understand what they're saying? Do the people here speak Japanese as well?" Sakura asked, confused. "It just doesn't seem reasonable for us to understand them, and for them to understand us. Or is this part of some kind of magic spell you cast on me, Eriol?" she joked.  
  
"Actually," Eriol said, "we are able to understand them because of our magic. Please, Sakura," he laughed. "We're people of magic, and it goes a long way. I guess it can alter the sound waves so we can understand a little bit of it."  
  
"But that girl... Klarne. She's been here before, so she must be able to talk to them... Meaning..."  
  
"That she probably has magic as well. And she does. You saw her draw a symbol on the door. She has magic, Sakura. But still... I wonder how she got in here, and why she was accepted by this place. After all, she's still here, which makes all this quite curious for me."  
  
"Cool," Sakura quipped chirpily. "You can think about it while I go make us a snack. After all, dinner's still a couple hours away, you know."  
  
Eriol turned to look at her, and smiled. "Okay. That sounds very nice."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 5 - Shadow World - Realm of the Minds_  
  
She laid him down on the ground, and cupped his entire face into her hands. Dtarna smiled, and bent down so her forehead touched his, and closed her eyes, letting herself get sucked in to the world of the minds, where she also ruled. Clutching his face tighter, Dtarna started her search in this misty, white place, which had a similar look as the Crossroads.  
  
  
  
Tell me... _she whispered to him in his head as she took each step slowly and carefully. She walked through each door, passing down each road, seeking him out._ What is your secret? What is your gift? What do you hold and cherish, for me to seek and find?  
  
_Dtarna yanked open another door, only to find it blank. She turned around, her essence's clothes swirling with her in his mind._ TALK TO ME!!! _she shouted. It was a direct order.  
  
And yet, no one answered.  
  
Dtarna smirked. _Okay. You can drag this out as much as you want, my dear. I will have it. I will. Then, let us see how you can stop me._ Dtarna then stopped walking, and held her hand out, palm up in front of her. _We will do this the hard way then. I do not wish to waste anymore time. _Suddenly, a dark swirl of energy emerged from that palm, and began to dance its way towards every direction._  
  
Do you wish to know what this is? _Dtarna grinned._ This is a seeker AND a virus. If you do not give me what I want, then it will continue to eat you away with everything it touches. I will give you five seconds before I truly send it out against you.  
  
One... _Dtarna whispered._  
  
Two... _She started to take her other hand, and pointed her index finger around, playing with the black energy.  
_  
Three... _There was still no reply._  
  
Fo-  
  
N-no... _Syaoran moaned._  
  
_Dtarna smiled triumphantly. She watched as Syaoran appeared in front of her. _Ah... His Highness has finally decided to appear in front of me... _Then, Dtarna closed her palm up, and the dark wave of essence faded away. She smiled at him. _Do you always make it this hard, and do things so last minute? Now, tell me your Name!  
  
I... _Syaoran whispered.  
  
Dtarna's smile faltered a bit when she realized that he was trying to resist. _Tell me your Name, _she demanded in a harsher voice._  
  
My... Name... _Syaoran managed to get out, his voice strained.  
_  
TELL ME!!!!  
  
_Suddenly, Syaoran started to stared at her, his entire expression changed. He did not look like the one whom got sucked into the Shadow World, who was confused about this realm, but another one. One of which held more wisdom than needed for a real life person to have. One of which who understood what was going on, and was trying to stop it from happening._ Let me go, _he ordered._  
  
_Dtarna shook her head. _You know what I want. Give it to me.  
  
_Syaoran still held that same, expressionless face on. _That is not for you to know. You know the rules, Dtarna. Only those who it belongs to can they have what I own.  
  
And it belongs to me, boy. Give it to me! _she pressed on, her voice getting a bit louder with each word that came out of her mouth. _I should be able to own it, as you have every right to it yourself. I do not see why you wish to keep it to yourself, you selfish brat.  
  
No. You know already as to why one must keep quiet. There is a reason why we can't just give it out, Dtarna, and you know that. You are a fine example already of why it can't be given out. Others, other than the rightful owner, will corrupt it. Abuse it. I doubt that you would wish for me to find out yours and use it against you, ne? _he asked, raising at eyebrow at her, as if telling her to try her best against him. _How would you feel if I entered your mind, your spiritual haven? And search, going through everything? What if I find it? What if I found your Name, and hold onto it? _When she didn't answer, he continued talking._ Get out, now. You are breaking the rules, woman.  
  
Please, dear child. I stopped following rules when I was but a baby, _she said, as if his threats mean nothing to her. _Now... give it to me before I get mad!!  
  
_Syaoran continued to shake his head. _He does not know what we are talking about, Dtarna. I suggest you stay out of my - or his - head until you understand what I mean, when I say that.  
  
_Filled with fury, Dtarna lashed forward, her hands out as if to strangle him._ Give me your Name!!! _she shrieked. Syaoran quickly dodged her charge, and turned to look at her. _Give me your Name, boy, or I will make you suffer so badly that not even your precious friends can find you back. I'll make sure that you lose yourself forever. I'll curse you to the ends of the world!! GIVE me your _Name_!!! _she threatened._  
  
_Syaoran shook his head. _It is time for you to leave this place. _GO!!!_  
  
_With that one word, Syaoran held his hand out, and a beam of light shot towards Dtarna, who recoiled, holding her arms in front of her face, as if trying to protect herself from it. _NO!!! I'll return!!! I'll get it, no matter what it takes, I WILL!!! _she yelled as she faded away from this world, and was pulled back towards her own._  
  
  
  
Dtarna gasped as she pulled her grip away from Syaoran. "That _fool_!" she hissed, staring at the still unconscious guy. "I'll get his Name," she swore to herself. "I'll get his Name, or die trying! Bahrrn!!" she ordered a guard to come in. When one did, she quickly turned around, for none had the worthiness or right to see her face, said, still with anger filled in her tone, "carry him up to my bed! I do not want us to be disturb."  
  
"What are you going to do, Master?" he asked.  
  
Dtarna smirked. "I wish to find his Name. Do you wish for me to try to find yours, bahrrn?" She didn't even have to turn around to see the guard shuddering and his face rapidly paling to a snow-white color. "I figured as much. Then leave, before I do." She listened as the guard ran the heck out of there, and then turned around. Syaoran was there, lying on her bed.  
  
"Oh!" she gasped. "He's filthy!" She hadn't considered how working at the sites might have affected him. Dtarna sighed, as she started to call some maids in to wash him, and then stopped. "Why do so," she whispered coyly, "when one has magic?"  
  
She snapped her fingers quickly, and quickly as it was, Syaoran was cleanse of the dirt and ashes on him. His clothes were still rags, but it was truly better than nothing. She smiled a mockingly sweet smile down at the sleeping boy. "You won't wake anytime soon," she cooed into his ear. "I'll have you wake up when I can finally find your Name, and have you here, with me forever. As my slave, whether you want to or not. Because you see, my dear, if I have your Name, and wish to use it, then you are mine. You are mine, forever and ever," she giggled.  
  
Ironically, the color on Syaoran's face drained, and his veins were pulsing, as if from anger at the words that she was whispering into his ears.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 7 - Shadow World_  
  
"I fold," Eriol frowned in defeat.  
  
Sakura grinned. "I can't believe you bought a pack of cards with you. I beat you in poker ten times already. Eriol, you may be good in magic, but you _stink _at cards." She watched as Eriol glared at her, then glanced out a window. "Okay! Fine. We'll play another game. You can choose."  
  
"......."  
  
"Eriol?"  
  
"Go Fish."  
  
Sakura nodded. "Okay then," she smiled.  
  
  
Twenty minutes later...  
  
"Damn this!" Eriol swore as he threw his cards on the floor.  
  
Sakura shook her head as she glanced out the window again. "Heh..." she laughed.  
  
Eriol stared at her, all his joking and mocking anger leaving him. "That's been the umpteenth time or so that you've been looking out the window there, Sakura. Something's on your mind. What is it?"  
  
Sakura started to shifted around nervously.  
  
Eriol got off of his own seat, and walked up to her. He sat down closer to her, and stared into her face intently. "Tell me, Sakura," he told her softly, comforting. "What is it that's on your mind? Is it Klarne? Or is it Syaoran? Or is it something else? What is it?"  
  
Sakura looked at him hopelessly. "I... I just don't that we should be just sitting around here, playing games when we should be trying to find out stuff that we need to know. I... I don't know. I'm sorry, Eriol. I guess that I just ruined another perfectly relaxing evening, huh?" She then smiled sadly at him. "I guess that I'm just a party pooper or something."  
  
Eriol felt a lump in his throat as he wrapped his arms around her, trying to calm his friend down. "No," he whispered. "I understand. I'm just sorry that I didn't see it before, Sakura. Some kind of good friend I am, huh?" He squeezed her shoulder and smiled through his own worries. "Just don't worry so much, okay? It's all going to be okay. I promise you."  
  
Sakura, even though she knew it was a childish thing to do, held up her pinkie. "Do you promise me for real? Do you really mean it when you say that?"  
  
Eriol chuckled. "I can tell you to calm down. But..." he looked at her pinkie. "I can't truly promise you anything. I can't predict the future. I can't tell you that you won't get hurt. I can't promise you that I won't get hurt. I can't promise you that Syaoran won't get hurt. But... I can try my best, you know? I can try to protect us as hard as I can, from wherever I can."  
  
Sakura bit her lip nervously, and she looked down at her hands, folded on her lap. Slowly, she nodded. "Okay," she whispered in a shaky voice. "I can do this." She then looked up at him, a small smile on her lips. "I'll try my hardest as well. After all, I've been such a prissy little thing, you know."  
  
Eriol nodded. "You really are a worry-wart. Not perfect at all," he laughed softly.  
  
Suddenly, as if those words triggered something in her, Sakura's face paled, all colors drained from her face instant. "I'm not perfect," she whispered softly, repeating his words, as if in a trance.  
  
Eriol nodded his head, even though he knew that he might be doing something bad as he agreed with her. "Yes. You are not perfect. Nobody in this world is perfect, Sakura. And you should know that. I've made mistakes. You've made mistakes."  
  
Sakura looked up, her frail face showing pain from a memory she just came up with. "You know," she said, "if Syaoran was here, he'd disagree with me, and say that I was the most perfect thing in his life." She turned to look at him. "How come you won't say that about me?"  
  
"Well," Eriol replied, feeling his throat tighten up as his arm left her shoulder as he talked, "I am not Syaoran, so I cannot act as he did, Sakura."  
  
"I know," Sakura nodded. "I didn't mean it that way, Eriol. I'm sorry. It's just that... I couldn't help remembering when you said those words, you know, Eriol. I... I can't believe that I can still feel this way. Oh, geez! Listen to me! I sound like those broken girls in those movies. I need to stop all this..."  
  
"Your love for him will be the death of you, Sakura..." Eriol whispered.  
  
Sakura nodded bleakly. "I know," she said in a flat voice. "Maybe then I'll be happy."  
  
Eriol suddenly got up, and looked out the window as well this time. "I wonder when that Lady Klarne's going to come back," he asked casually. "It'd be great if she can get back here now so that we can ask her a few questions..."  
  
"Didn't you listen to her?" Sakura asked. "She went out to run some errands. She went to get stuff for us, though I don't see why she'd do that stuff for us. She said that she'd be back with all those items by morning at the latest. So maybe it's going to take her a while, you know."  
  
"Yes... but I can't help but wonder... She's from Earth, and yet she is here. Quite intriguing."  
  
"Why?" Sakura teased. "Are you falling for her?"  
  
Eriol turned to look at her, his eyes widening. "God, no! She's what? Twenty years old or something?!"  
  
"Yeah, well, love can conquer all, right? Hehe. Even age doesn't matter when it comes to love."  
  
"Love..." Eriol sighed, and turned back to look out the window. _I wonder... how it really feels... to be in LOVE..._ "I wouldn't know, Sakura," he said, an emotion of longing ache in his voice as he said those words. "I really wouldn't know..." Suddenly, Eriol felt a tug of something at the back of his head. The sun was starting to set. "Come on, Sakura," he whispered urgently. "Let's pack up everything of ours. I don't think we'll stay up until tomorrow morning."  
  
"What?!" Sakura asked. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Just listen to me. Come on. Let's do this right now."


	7. A New Image

**Chapter Seven: A New Image**  
  
_Day 7 - Shadow World (Almost midnight)_  
  
The door creaked open slowly, and Klarne walked in. No lights were on as she continued past the living room and counter, and started to walk up the stairs, slowly and quietly. "They're supposed to be sleeping in the rooms upstairs," she whispered to someone walking behind her.  
  
From a dark corner on the first floor, wearing a cloak, he started to mumble a few words with his palm up in front of him. A swirl of red energy started to shape into a small ball in his hand, floating as it did. With one more word said, he threw it lightly at Klarne and the other person. The energy dropped to the floor in between them, and, like a grenade waiting to explode, it burst out, and the strings of red energy wrapped around them, tying them to their places.  
  
Eriol then snapped his fingers, and a torch in his hands lit up. Sakura was standing right next to him as they walked up to the frozen people, who were in the weirdest positions as they were trying to walk up the stairs when Eriol executed the spell. He and Sakura stared up at them. "You know," Eriol started, as if this was just any casual conversation , "I don't like it when people try to surprise us with a midnight visit. So instead," he the smiled that smile, "I decided that we should give you guys something to gawk about instead."  
  
Sakura looked at the other person, and saw that she was an old woman. "Who is she?" Sakura demanded to Klarne. "And why did you plan to sneak up on us?"  
  
"Lady Klarne!" the old hag barked. "What is the meaning of this?!"  
  
"I don't know... What the heck are you people doing?!" she yelled. "We just came to bring you guys back home."  
  
Sakura and Eriol blinked. "Home?" they both uttered at the same time.  
  
"Yes!" Klarne yelled, trying her best to move, but finding it to be an ultimate loss. "We came here to tell you that a portal has been opened for you all to get back home. It shouldn't be too hard to do so. All you have to do is walk in."  
  
"What makes you think that we want to go home?" Sakura asked.  
  
Klarne looked at them. "You mean..." she said. "That you guys came in here on PURPOSE?!"  
  
"There is no other reason for us for entering the Shadow World," Eriol told her. "But then again, you are here as well. I think that you have some explaining to do, Miss Klarne. How did you get here? When did you get here? And all those other stuff that I just don't feel like mentioning right now."  
  
Klarne bit her lip as she looked at them. "Can't you let me go first, so I can sit down to talk to you all? It's hard to talk when I'm standing like this. And uncomfortable. I hate being uncomfortable."  
  
"Well-" Sakura started.  
  
"No can do, ma'am," Eriol said. "You're going to explain to us right now, right here. We'll let you go if we decide that your story's plausible enough."  
  
Klarne sighed as she looked at them dejectedly. Slowly, she nodded. "Okay then. I'll explain everything about how I got here. It's not too hard.  
  
"I entered the Shadow World about a year ago, I think. I don't remember much about it, but I do know that it was one of the weirdest things that I ever went through. I lived in America, and I was just walking down the street one day. You know, just those regular day when you're just trying to get home. I don't know how it happened, and I don't know what I can tell you that'll help you to understand, because I don't get it either.  
  
"I was about halfway to my home, when suddenly, a big breeze started to pick up. I just thought that it was getting windy, that's all. A couple minutes later, the wind got even harsher on me. Still, I just thought that it was just the weather.  
  
"All I understood was that the wind _really _picked up, and I could hardly walk against it. I flew back, and banged my head on the ground when I fell. I blacked out, and I have no clue how long I slept until I woke up again.  
  
"When I did wake, I found myself here, right in this world. I wandered around, and people, like Lady Chanki here took me in. I was lost, and couldn't find a way back. In the end, I just stayed here, and never tried to find a way back. There's not much that I want to say about it... But... I still do want to go back, as hard as I can. I still wish. Oh, and I can tell you that the last I saw of Earth was in 2001... Well? Maybe you can tell me what time you're from."  
  
"It's been at least a year," Sakura said flatly. "You've been here a while."  
  
"Wow..." Klarne murmured. "A year already... It seems that time really flies while I'm here." Then, she looked up at them. "Please, my friends. Don't do this. Let us go, and we shall help you get back home." Then, Klarne smiled a reassuring smile at them.  
  
Suddenly, Sakura glanced at Klarne's hands, and saw her holding onto two small necklaces, with a slab of rock, that looked to be about two inches in height and one inch in length. It was almost as thin as a piece of paper, and an image of a white flower was carved into it. Sakura continued to look at it, and pointed out, "I think those look like the so-called passes that we need."  
  
Klarne nodded. "Yes," she said. "You carry these around so that you don't trigger the traps. Come on, now. I'm getting tired here," she gave them another smile, this one a bit more weary.  
  
"Well, _maybe _we can let you go," Eriol whispered, "but we also don't want to go back to Earth. We can stay here, thank you very much. And I think that we'll just take those," he chirped as he grabbed the two passes from her hands. "We should leave now, Sakura."  
  
Sakura nodded, and picked up their packs. "Sorry," she apologized. "It's just that... being careful is better than not, you know?"  
  
Eriol nodded. "When we finish what we are doing, then we'll come and make up, okay? We'll buy gifts and everything. We'll make a public apology, and all that other stuff. Until then, have fun standing here for a couple more hours, okay?" He then winked at them, and walked off, followed by Sakura, who was nervously looking behind her shoulder at the bounded women.  
  
Sakura quickly ran up to Eriol as they walked out of the building. "Did it work?" she whispered as she handed him is pack, who gratefully took it.  
  
Suddenly, a large flash from the place burst out, and a rumbling sound emerged. Eriol smirked wryly. "Yep," he said. "It did."  
  
Quickly, the two of them turned around, when a large gust of wind shot out at them from the building. Sakura felt her hood shoot off of her head and almost lost her grip on her bag. "I don't get it..." Sakura mumbled.  
  
Eriol sighed as he willed his wand to come out. "It's not like anything new, Sakura. Expect the unexpected, remember? There isn't really anything that you shouldn't know about this."  
  
"But... we don't know _why _they want us," Sakura mumbled. "And why they suddenly had such a changed of heart-"  
  
"FORGIVE our manners, my dears," Klarne interrupted as she step out of the building with the old woman to them, her hands crackling with lightning magic. "If we had been better hosts, then maybe we could've fooled you better. Pardon us, please. Forgive us. Forgive us."  
  
"Well, since there is a portal, why don't you come back to Earth with us?" Sakura pondered.  
  
When there was a string of silence, Eriol replied, "Because there is no such portal. They lie." Then, he glared at her. "You do work for the dark magic." It was not a suggestion, it was a fact. A fact that he did not question at all.  
  
Klarne grinned predatorily. "It's not that we wanted to. It's just that dark power is much more easily controllable than the 'right' magic, my dears."  
  
"So..." Sakura realized. "You _don't _come from Earth..."  
  
"Oh, but I did," Klarne continued to smile. "I did come here from Earth, and it was about a year ago."  
  
"Then... why did this happen?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Oh, don't you know by now?" Klarne rolled her eyes. "There is a reason why this place is known as the Shadow World. More than seventy-five percent of the consisted magic here is black magic. Dark powers. There is no way a person can travel and actually _not _run into this powerful energy."  
  
"Then these passes-" Sakura said, looking down at the items in her hand.  
  
"Well, those are authentic," Klarne chirped.  
  
"But why-"  
  
"Because you won't be able to use them. You'd be too dead to even be able to give a thought about them. We were given orders to dispose of any outsiders by Dtarna. And for a fairly lovely price as well," Klarne smiled. "There is no way that you will ever get out of this town alive."  
  
Sakura's eyes flashed in fear as she clenched her hands into fists. "Damn it!" she hissed. "Darn it!"  
  
"What?" Eriol asked.  
  
"I don't have _magic_," she moaned.  
  
"Hush," Eriol smirked. "I can take care of them, trust me."  
  
Sakura's eyebrows raised up in disbelief. "But, Eriol... They look to be really strong."  
  
"Heh... Do you really wish to doubt me, Sakura?" With those words, he held his hand out, and his staff shimmered before it appeared in his grasp. "Just stand behind me, and I will take care of everything." With those words, his staff shimmered again, and the light of energy split. In seconds, Eriol was holding onto a sword and a shield.  
  
"What is that?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Magic, what else? It is similar to when you use the sword card," he explained quickly.  
  
"And yet, with so much in your hands, only one has the will to go against us, while the other does not. Two against one," Klarne smirked. "Let's see how well you do, dear wizard."  
  
Clenching his weapon, Eriol felt anger boil in him. "Enough talk," he said, irritated at the fact that they thought he wasn't a match for them. "Let's just start the fighting."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 8 - Shadow World_  
  
Syaoran slowly raised his hand to his forehead, and left it there for a while when he felt himself slip back into his conscious mind. He didn't open his eyes, but instead, just laid there in the soft embrace of the silky fabric. Feeling a sense of tranquility upon him, Syaoran just laid there, glad of the comforting sheets on him. Peering up at his hands, Syaoran suddenly caught the image of scars and blisters on them.  
  
_Huh_... he mumbled to himself, when his eyes shot wide open, and he jerked up in his bed. Suddenly, all his thoughts flooded in, and he remembered exactly where he was, why he was here (well, as much as he could get, that is), and who he was here with. Well, to be specific about the who, nobody. He was all by himself.  
  
_Other than Tgaeh_, Syaoran mused. Then, he looked around him, and found himself in a pretty large bed, a semi-clear fabric or curtain covering over it. He inspected the clothes he was wearing, looking at the rich brown texture, and wondered where in the world his jeans and t-shirt were thrown to.  
  
But as quickly as Syaoran had sat up, he felt himself unwillingly fall back down onto the bed. Clutching his head, it soon dawned on him as to how exhausted he mysteriously was. Syaoran groaned as he felt headaches run through him, practically gasping for breath, even though he had a small feeling that he has slept for a few days.  
  
_What is wrong with me?!_ Syaoran questioned himself. He needed an answer, and he needed one quickly. He needed to know who this woman is, what has been going on, and above all else, how to get out of this hellhole.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


Day 7 - Shadow World  
  
The black cackling energy flowing around Klarne started to gather around a held out hand in the air. She then threw it straight towards Eriol, grinning slightly when she watch it expand and then narrowed to strike him.  
  
Eriol rolled his eyes as he waved his hand in the air, and the black magic diminished into nothing at all. Seeing the shocked expression on their faces, Eriol exasperatedly said, "I am a _master _of my magic, ladies. There is no way that I will lose to people such as you, who are still trying to reach a certain level. There is more to me that you will _ever _wish to see!" With those words, he raised his sword into the sky, and stroke the ground right in front of his feet. Seconds later, the sword changed back to a wand after he pulled it out from the earth. From that section on, the soil underneath started to rumble loudly.  
  
Suddenly, roots shot out to grab a hold at Klarne and the old woman's feet, wrapping around them as they did.  
  
"No!" Klarne hissed, throwing the black energy at the earth that surrounded her. She then looked up desperately at the old woman. "Help!" she shrieked. "Chanki, do something!"  
  
The old woman Chanki threw her arms up into the air, and swirls of shadows clouded all over her. While she did that, Eriol waved his hand in a circle, and a shield appear. Before Chanki could even use the power she had gathered, Eriol pointed his wand at them again, and the roots that tugged at their feet started to glow around them.  
  
Klarne blinked, and gave a sharp yell when she saw her legs shifting to a dull brown color. She quickly grabbed down on her leg, but jerked away when her hands started to change as well. "No!" she sucked in her breath in shock. The same soon started to happen to the old woman.  
  
Eriol stood there, rigid. Then, he grabbed onto Sakura's arm, and waved his wand around them once. "No!" Sakura yelled desperately, trying to get Eriol to stop. "You can't-" But her words were taken away as they molded into the dark atmosphere. They faded into the night, leaving the stiff women frozen to their spots, now as hard as wood itself.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


Day 10 - Earth  
  
"Well?" Nakuru asked Kaho, walking into a large library.  
  
"I think I found it," Kaho smiled to her, and held up a book in her arms so that Nakuru could see, standing in front of a never-ending, tall shelf of books. On the ancient hardcover volume, there held the words: _Magyck Bynds_. "I am sure that all you have to do is give me a night to read through it. There is much that I can find out by then."  
  
"Well? What is it about?"  
  
Putting it down on a podium next to her, Kaho opened it gently, a cloud of dust popping up from the pages. "Clow Reed was not the magician and fool as he is today, as you should know already. The Clow Cards he might have created, but that does not mean he did not have a back-up supply of magic in case they failed him. If in dire situations, he would always have this for extreme and critical affairs."  
  
"And you believe that there might be a spell in here to help create a portal to the Shadow World?"  
  
"Yes, and maybe even be able to activate the Star cards as well, for they hold a large quantity and amount of magic in them. If we can, they might be able to help us."  
  
"So we just pray now?"  
  
"So we pray." But as she said that, Kaho smiled.  
  
Nakuru then gave an angry huff, glaring off to nowhere in particular.  
  
"What is wrong, Nakuru?" Kaho asked from where she was browsing through the book.  
  
"You know," Nakuru sulked, crossing her arms over her chest furiously, "I came here looking for something to do! And instead, I end up sitting around in a house. AGAIN. Only this time, I worry about Master, and how he is faring, while he leaves me here, with Suppi. Why couldn't I get sucked into that stupid portal, anyway?!" she cried.  
  
Kaho chuckles lightly, seeing this guardian break at the so-called boredom she was experiencing.  
  
"What are you so happy about, though?" Nakuru asked. "I mean, Master and that girl is stuck in another world. I do not think that this qualifies as happy hour. Especially since I am _here_."  
  
Kaho just continued to smile, looking up at Nakuru. "Well, if you knew what I know, then you would smile as well."  
  
"Okay then," Nakuru said slowly. "What are you so happy about?"  
  
"Love," Kaho stated.  
  
Nakuru raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay..."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 10 - Shadow World_  
  
Tgaeh grumbled as he returned to his home, the sun almost out of his sight. He turned around, and narrow his eyes to the sun, almost staring at it. Quickly, he walked into his house, and sat down on a wooden bench. He stretched his arms, sighed, and slowly poured some water into a cup from a container.  
  
"Your friend has not returned ever since he has left to her castle," Brache smirked, Sharhn at his side. He grabbed onto her hand, and slowly took her in through the doorway. "He'll never come out, Tgaeh, and you know that. Forget about the prophecy that you dream of, brother. Please. For once, just try to forget about it-"  
  
"I cannot!" Tgaeh exclaimed, and raked his fingers through his hair.  
  
"If he does not show again, then that means that he is dead," Brache said, enunciating perfectly each word that came out of his mouth. "If she has not seduced his soul out of his body yet, then he is a prisoner there, almost dead anyway. Too late for him, don't you think?" Brache looked at the sitting Tgaeh, his eyes filled with mocking laughter.  
  
Sighing, Tgaeh put down his cup of water, and looked at Brache. Sharhn smiled sheepishly at Brache, then ran up to Tgaeh. Giving him a hug, she then ran up to her bed, and went to sleep. Watching her go, Tgaeh then turned back to Brache. "Brother," he uttered that one word. "Do you wish to stay here for the rest of your life?"  
  
Brache scoffed. "As if I have any other choice."  
  
"You will _always _have a choice," Tgaeh said firmly, sounding as serious as he could. "The only one who is stopping you is master. Why not go kill her?"  
  
Choking a bit, Brache stared at him. "What are you?! Insane?! Do you wish for me to die?!"  
  
Tgaeh sucked in his breath and let it out. "I am sorry, Brache. It's just that..."  
  
Suddenly, footsteps were heard walking towards them.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 7 - Shadow World_  
  
"STTTOOOOPPPPPP!!!" Sakura shrieked, her eyes shut when they had disappeared. She clutched his shirt tightly, hoping that he would have at least heard her.  
  
"Enough, Sakura," Eriol snapped. "Let go of me!"  
  
She opened her eyes, and found themselves on the road again. The worry and nervousness in her eyes faded, replaced with anger. She jerked her head to Eriol, and yelled, "How could you _do _that do them, Eriol?!"  
  
A scowl on his face as well, Eriol shot back, "Because there was no other way to escape. If you wish to have stayed there, why didn't you tell me?!" The sarcasm mixed with anger made the statement come out in a peculiar result.  
  
"You did not need to turn them to... to... whatever you turned them to! Maybe knocking them out would've done just fine, too, you know!" Sakura yelled.  
  
"When a person is in a haste, one tends to just use whatever spell is in one's head," he said through gritted teeth, his face just inches from hers. "Don't you _ever _try to tell me to not do something, Sakura." Sakura's eyes widened slightly, a shocked feeling in herself. Eriol... He's never talked to her like this before. Not once. Turning around, to Sakura's relief that his face wasn't so close to hers anymore, he took out his wand once more. "We're going to sleep here tonight. Just be quiet, okay?"  
  
Sakura, wanting to reply back to that, bit her tongue instead. "Will they change back?" she whispered softly.  
  
Turning around, Eriol's eyes softened a bit when he saw the distressed look on her face. A moment or two passed, and he slowly nodded his head. "I forgot to tell you that they will stay that way until sunrise. I had no time to make it permanent." When the hole appeared, Eriol jumped in, leaving Sakura up there on regular level ground.  
  
Sakura squinted her eyes in pain, but quickly let it go when she followed him. Jumping in, she saw that he was already unpacking his stuff. This time, he did not even go to gather wood. He flicked his hand around the center, and a burst of floating fire appeared, warming the entire place up. Then, he waved his hand in the air, and the shield locked in over their heads.  
  
"What happened to not wanting to waste your magic?" she whispered softly, asking the question as cautiously as she could.  
  
Sitting there, Eriol just looked into the fire, brooding as he did. The light illuminated off of his hair and his fair, and he was as still as can be, never answering Sakura's question.  
  
"Eriol... what did I say?!" she exclaimed, looking at him hopelessly. She got up, and walked to Eriol. Kneeling down next to him, she tried to peer into his face. "Eriol, look at me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."  
  
With no response and expression on his face, Eriol stood up abruptly. Never looking down at her, he jumped up, through the shield, and Sakura could hear his steps walking away from her. Sakura sighed in defeat as she crumbled onto the floor, and just curled up in a ball next to the warmth of the fire.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_Day 8 - Shadow World_  
  
Sakura moaned as she woke up. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw that the fire from last night had disappeared. Getting up, she felt something fall from her shoulders. Sakura picked it up, and found herself holding onto a thin blanket. She looked around some more, her eyes falling onto Eriol, who was sleeping upright, his back against the wall.  
  
Feeling herself withdraw, Sakura stared thoughtfully at him. Getting up, she walked up to him, and laid the blanket over his shoulders, while she found a spot to sit down next to him. Once she saw that he did not even wake up from the rustling she previously did, Sakura decided, _He must have really stayed up late last night._ She sighed some more when she saw how dirty he looked. His hair was disheveled, and his glasses could do with some cleaning, why with the dirt on it and all. His clothes were a bit untidy.  
  
Sakura found herself curious to the max and she continued to stare at his sleeping face. There, she found a smudge of dirt on his cheek, and slowly, she started to bring her hand up. Sakura stopped herself just in time, a bit of a confused look on her face. Then, she reached up again, and softly wiped the filth off of his cheek.  
  
Suddenly, Eriol's eyes opened so unexpectedly, that it caused Sakura to jumped back a bit. She looked at him, a bit of an uneasy and tense energy flowing out of her. Eriol turned to look at her with incredulous and disbelief as he slowly touched his cheek, the one which she had used her finger to wipe the dirt away.  
  
"Oh..." she whimpered. "I'm sorry, Eriol! Whatever I did, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it. I really didn't. I just thought that you.. well, you had a smidge of something on her face, so I just decided to wipe it off. Okay? Okay? Not okay?"


	8. Reflections

_ This is a short chapter, which is why it's basically named as Reflections. It's just to give me a bit of a break from writing long chapters. But chapter nine will be back at regular length._  
**  
Chapter Eight: Reflections  
  
**_Day 8 - Shadow World  
  
_ Eriol still didn't answer her as his eyes bored into her face. Then, miraculously, his voice came back. "I just don't..." he whispered, and suddenly stopped again, turning his head away from her. "Just leave me alone," he whispered, and turned away from here again, his eyes looking at the center of the room.  
  
Sakura bit her lip. Unexpectedly, Sakura watched as Eriol's head started to look up, and she felt her heart soar in expectation that maybe he has forgiven her for what she had done. But when he turned around to look at her, she felt a hard wave of power crash into her mind. With that seething pain in her, Sakura gave a short cry as she fell to the ground, blacking out instantly. "E... Eriol..." Sakura whimpered.  
  
The last she saw was him getting up, and his feet moving towards her, step by step.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  
  


_Day 8 - Shadow World  
  
_ Sakura groaned as she woke up, feeling tiny pebbles poke into her face as she slowly started to move again, the sun beating down at her face. She shook her head, trying to get used to the conscious world once more. Looking around, she gasped and got up to her feet, realizing that she was no longer in the cozy hole anymore. In fact, nobody was around, including Eriol and his stuff. She saw her bag and items next to her, but that was all.  
  
Feeling a sense of loss and confusion, Sakura dejectedly gathered her stuff, and checked it. Everything was there. Including... "Both of the passes?" Sakura whispered, shaking violently when she saw them in her hands. _Then... Then where is Eriol?_ she started to ask herself. He has not really been himself, she realized. It was horrible to feel that there could be someone she considered as a close friend for years, and yet find out that there was not a thing that she really knew about that person. She then looked up, at the long road ahead of her, and her eyes narrowed with determination. Quickly, she ran off, hoping that there would be a town within a day's walk from where she was.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  
  


_Day 12 - Earth  
  
_ Tomoyo and Yue stood in the center of a circle made by Cerberus, Ruby Moon, Spinel Sun, and Kaho.  
  
"Why can't I go?!" Nakuru asked Kaho.  
  
She smiled at the guardian. "We need Tomoyo and Yue to be there."  
  
"Why can't I go in one of their places?"  
  
Kaho only smiled at her again. "There are reasons, Ruby Moon. Now," she turned back to the rest of them. "Only two people can enter this time, for that is probably the most we can use our magic for to transfer you to the Shadow World," Kaho told them. "I have given you a tracker to find Syaoran. If you are lucky enough, then maybe you will get there before Sakura and Yue, and prepare for their arrival. You have the book and key with you to hand back to Sakura. We will try to get you as close of a direction as we can. I have found that Syaoran is in a city called Lyrra, thank the book for the way that I found that out, really. May luck be with you."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  
  


_Day 8 - Shadow World  
  
_ Eriol gulped as he was backed up into a wall by a gang of large men in the next town that he had walked into peacefully. They sneered at him, voices rumbling with incomprehensible words. Eriol narrowed his eyes at them. "Damn this..." he whispered. _Sakura..._ He remembered how he had tried to manipulate her mind back in school so that she would say the correct answer. He remembered what he just did to that lady Klarne last night. Eriol bit his lip as he found that he could back up no more against the wall. _But... I can't. I can't use any of my powers right now. It... It... No. I just can't._ "Damn..."  
  
He remembered watching as Sakura fainted last night, and wondered if maybe he was a bit too hard on her... _No._ he decided. _I had to do it. I had to give myself time to think, away from her and her, well... ways. But what do I do _now_?_ He took in a long breath, and braced himself for whatever they were going to do to him.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  
  


_Day 10 - Shadow World  
  
_ "Syaoran!" Tgaeh gasped, running up to get a hold on him as he staggered to their house. Tgaeh brought him in, and led him to a bed. "What happened?" he asked, helping him lay down. There weren't any injuries on Syaoran, for the looks of it. In fact, if anything at all, he just looked the same. But he was breathing hard, as if gasping for each breath.  
  
"How long have I been away from here?" he managed to ask as Tgaeh helped cover him with a thin blanket that he had lying around the house.  
  
Tgaeh pondered on that a few minutes, a thoughtful look on his face as he counted the days, before saying, "You have been gone for five days. Are you well? What ills you?"  
  
"I just need a night's rest, that's all," Syaoran managed to muster up a smile. "Then, I guess it's back to the site for me. I'm going to work alongside with you, Tgaeh, until I can figure a way to get us away from this wicked bitch." He narrowed his eyes when he mentioned her. "She... she's crazy, I tell you. She calls me in for no good reason, and I totally don't remember what she did to me... So you just watch, Tgaeh. Watch as I bring her down and make her stay that way."  
  
Tgaeh smiled wryly back at him as well. "Then sleep, my friend." Tgaeh turned to look at Brache, though he was still talking to Syaoran. "We will take care of you and help, as our parents did."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  
  


_Day 12 - Earth  
  
_ Tomoyo nervously held onto Yue's hand with one of hers, and a bag of the needed items in her other. She bit her lip as she closed her eyes, blocking everything out so that she wouldn't have to hear it all as she waited. Probably would be best if she didn't see what was happening. She sighed as she thought about everything, anticipating everything that was going to happen.  
  
It was great that she was finally going to find Sakura and Syaoran again. After all, it had been eight awfully agonizing days waiting for Ms. Mizuki to find some way for them to go back. Yue was chosen to go with Tomoyo because he was close to Sakura. That, and it just felt right for him to go, as if it was a hunch as to something good. (And Kaho insisted that it must be him who goes with Tomoyo as well...)  
  
Shaking a bit, she looked up at Yue, who turned to look down at him. Though he never smiled, he just nodded his head at her, as if to comfort her without having to curve his lips up. Tomoyo did smile though, at him, and sighed one more time. She'll find them. She'll find them, and everything will be just fine. Everything will be fine... She continued to keep telling herself that, even after the chanting from outside of her head started.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  
  


_Day 10 - Shadow World  
  
_ Syaoran just let his eyes stay closed while he laid there on the bed that Tgaeh provided. It may not be as nice as the one he was sleeping on in that lady's palace, but it felt much more heavenly than that place ever will. Opening his eyes, his first thoughts were of what Sakura was doing, but then he started to reminisce. He sighed, remembering how he got out of there. Escaping from that evil place...  
  
_ "Go," Mushi had told him.  
  
Syaoran stared at him in confusion. He was sleeping, and Mushi had just decided probably to shake the life out of him, because he felt his head nodding back and forth for a while even after he stopped doing it. This soldier just barged into 'Her Majesty's' room and is now telling to get the heck outta there. Syaoran didn't know whether to thank him for the escape, or for the assumption that it might be a trap.  
  
"Um..." Syaoran started.  
  
"Come. You need to go before she sucks the life out of you."  
  
_ It was then, right after when Mushi said those words, when Syaoran felt the tiredness and exhaustion flowing in and through him. He had then let Mushi lead him out through all these ways of avoiding all the soldiers. Once out of the palace, Syaoran was able to find his way back here. Mushi had left him, and gone to do whatever he was doing before he was pondering, _Oh! I think that I'll just go bring that guy back out from the palace who I just brought in a few days ago. That sounds nice. Okay._ Then, Syaoran had gone back. Back to the only place he could call home, anyway. Syaoran sighed as he turned over in the bed, and soon found himself slumbering off to give in to the sleep.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  
  


_Day 10 - Shadow World  
  
_ "He has escaped back to the village," a maiden whispered softly, bowed to the ground in front of a large and grand bed, covered in a large veil of white cloth. "Shall we send a bahrrn to get him back?"  
  
She sighed, closing her eyes for a second to take this in. Then, she ordered in a clear voice, "No. Let him do as he wish. He is powerless to anything drastic, really. And besides that, it was probably a bahrrn who helped him leave this place, anyway. Ah... yes. Just let him be," With those words, she dismissed the maiden off, and slumped back into her soft bed. Dtarna took in a long breath, and then waved her finger around above her head. Suddenly, a clouded viewer appeared above her, and she watched as a sleeping Syaoran laid on a plain bed, having a fitful slumber as she watch him move constantly around.  
  
"Oh, how can he stand it?" she muttered to herself, trying to put herself in his situation currently. "Those sheets are not even _fit_ to be used as blankets. Yet he enjoys it there... Away from me..."  
  
She then slowly smirked. "You just watch, little wolf," she cooed softly at him, expanding the image a bit. "I'll get you one day, because you do belong to me. I _will_ own your Name, and we will be together for eternity... Until then, I'll be watching you. Watching you for most of the time, anyway." She clenched her hand into a fist, and the image faded and puffed off into a gray-colored smoke.  


  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  


Sakura looked up at the blue sky as she ran down the trail, never leaving it even if she felt tired or hungry. No. She must catch up to Eriol. It was about time that she did something to that guy.  
  
Eriol gulped, trying to hold back his urge of using his magic to blow them all away. _I can't do it... I won't. I really must not use my magic._ Then, he closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath. _Oh, Sakura... I'm so sorry for what I did to you.  
  
_ Tgaeh look out the scroll again, and stared at the words over and over again. "He must be the one," he whispered. "He must be the one who will save us all. He already speaks of revolution..."  
  
Tomoyo felt a gust of wind start under her feet, expanding around her. "I'm coming," she whispered. "It's about time..." _After all, how can a team such as we be separated in the first place?_ Tomoyo still had her eyes closed as she was sucked in under her feet through a portal, and the same happened to Yue.  
  
Syaoran tossed and turned in his sleep. Dreams. Leave him alone, he wanted. Leave him alone. Yet they kept telling him things. Giving him images that he wished to block out.  
  
Dtarna frowned dully as she stared up to the ceiling. She needed an idea. Any idea, to help her gain his Name.


	9. A Slash Upon Her Heart

_ Sorry that it took so long. I've been... lazy. Yeah, I have been lazy. ^^U Gomen!  
  
Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me._  
**  
Responses:**  
  
_ Jared: Thank you for reviewing my fic ever since you started reading it. ^^ I'm glad you like it. *feels so happyyyyy!!!*  
  
Silver Serpent: Hehe. In a way, I kind of have things planned out. The only problem is that I tend to drag things along, making the romance come in a bit later than many want. Thank yewwwww for your comments!!  
  
Anne-twilight: I feel so special~~~~!! I'm glad you like E/S. After all, there's so few of them, with the entire CCS archive flooded with... *shudders* S/S.  
  
RuByMoOn: Sorry if I took too long to update... At least I wrote that widdle sappy Christmas E/S, ne? ^^ Thank you for reviewing on that one, too!  
  
Keizinathebrat: Hehe. I'm trying my best to get as many chapters out as I can, though it's a gradual thing. I'm so glad you like this story!!!_  
  
**Chapter Nine: A Slash Upon Her Heart**  
  
_Day 8 - Shadow World_  
  
Sakura finally spotted a town in her view, sweating bullets from running for hours non-stop. Her dash had turned to a slow jog after a while, and she even walked a few times, but she never stopped. She never stopped moving, and the sun was just a few hours away from setting. Sakura quickly got passed the borders, and ran in. Not knowing what to do, she slowed down, and turned around, scanning the entire place. This town looked extremely similar to the one they had been in before. At least, the building structures did.  
  
She finally stopped, and looked around. There was no way that she could now know where Eriol be. For all of this running, he could already be in the next town already, she figured. Sakura took in a slow breath, and closed her eyes, wanting to rest a bit after all that running. Suddenly, she heard a loud cry, and gasped. _Eriol!_ she realized. _That sounded like Eriol!_ A part of her felt anxious, scared for the horrific scream she heard. But, another part was relieved, glad to know that Eriol had at least not abandoned this world, leaving her here all alone.  
  
She turned a corner, guessing on where he was, and almost tripped over somebody on the ground. "I'm sor-" she started, when her words got stuck in her throat. Her hand went over her mouth, gasping at the sight in front of her. "Eriol!" she gasped, quickly falling to her knees to pick his limp body up. Shaking him a bit, she took in a staggering breath. "Eriol, are you okay?! Eriol, _please!_"  
  
Miraculously, well to her it was, Eriol groaned, wincing as he came back to the conscious world once more. Peering up, he whispered, "Sakura? Is that you?" Then, he looked around. "Oh, man. How long have I been lying here like this- AH!" He jerked in pain when he tried to move his arm. "What the heck..."  
  
"What did you do to yourself, Eriol? Come on, try to get up." With those words, she slowly and gradually tried to help him sit up, wincing each time he looked as if he was going to cry out once more in agony. "Oh, Eriol..." she whispered. "Why in the world did you want to leave me back there by myself?! Why did you knock me _out?!_"  
  
But all he did was give her The Smile. "I'm better now," he said softly, ignoring her questions. "A few guys came and ganged up on me, asking for money. And when I showed them that I have absolutely not even a dollar in this world's currency, they just took their anger out on me. Oh, and my pack's over there," he pointed to the other side of the alley, then continued. "And, I was able to find something out. I remembered the woman's name. Dtarna, that's what Klarne said. So I asked around before I got caught up in that little predicament. It turns out that she's a slave owner," he whispered, looking up at her through his slightly scratched-up glasses. "The city which she controls over is known as Lyrra, and it's the town right after this one, though it's pretty far off. If we start right now, we can get to Syaoran in a just a bit over two weeks. And I think that if we walk all day, it'll be a bit quicker, right?"  
  
Sakura sighed as she held him closer, not knowing why. "Come on, Eriol," she said instead. "Just sit up while I get some stuff out." And then, she let him down gently, and took a cloth and a bottle of water out of her bag. Slowly, she poured some water out onto the cloth, and turned back to Eriol.  
  
Sakura bit her lip, staring at the condition he was in. He was breathing hard, as if it took everything in him to even try. She closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath herself. Sakura gently dabbed his face with the washcloth. "What did you do to me?" she asked him as she tended to him.  
  
After about a short moment of silence, Eriol decided to answer her question. "I left you behind so that I could see what was in stored in front," he whispered slowly, his eyes still closed. "I left you both the passes, didn't I? Well, I figured out how to get past the security defenses. I mean, after the first time, it wasn't too hard afterwards to see how it works."  
  
"You didn't have to knock me out," she said in a stubborn voice. "When you attacked me with your magic, do you have any clue the pain I felt in my head? It was like a sharp rock slicing at me, until I blacked out. I didn't like that, Eriol," she told him. "And before that, you looked as if you could've killed Klarne and that old woman. When I tried to stop you afterwards, you just ignored me for a while. That hurt even more than-" Suddenly, she felt a quick hand grab hers, with the cloth in her hand. Looking at Eriol's face, she found him staring into her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry," he murmured, clenching her hand tighter into his. If Sakura didn't know any better, she would've thought that he was going to kiss it, like those old-fashioned people, as a sign of apology. But instead, he just held it, and gazed up into her eyes. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to do that to you. I... I felt angry, and I didn't know how to deal with it," he explained. "So I guess that I, um... acted like a jerk?"  
  
Sakura blinked a few times, staring at her wounded friend. Sighing, she shook her head, and finally, a small smile appeared on her lips. "Oh, you baka," she chuckled softly as she took her hand away from his, and continued to wipe his hands and arms now. "It's so surprising how one such as you can even _think _about being a jerk... It must be hard now that you're starting to turn human, am I right?"  
  
Eriol looked up at her. "I am a human," he stated.  
  
"Yes," she nodded, smiling at him some more when she heard him say that. Then, she bent down, and tapped him lightly on the tip of his nose. "But you're also too smart for your own good." A few moments later, she backed up, and said, "I think that you should get a change of clothing or something, Eriol. You look like a mess, and I can't clean up anything that is covered under your clothes. You can do that yourself," she laughed.  
  
Then, she helped him sit up again, and he rubbed his forehead with his fingers before he nodded his head. "Okay," he said, getting up bit by bit so that he wouldn't overwhelm himself. "I'm just going to heal myself a bit, and then we can finally get going. The sooner the better." Sakura tried to look into his eyes, but he avoided her gaze.  
  
He was all business again. Sakura stared at him for a few more minutes before she nodded. "Yes," she agreed with him in an even voice. "The sooner the better."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Day 14 - Shadow World  
  
Staggering, Syaoran dumped the contents into the disposal section once more. Then, he took a breather, and stared up at the glaring sun. He wiped some sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand, and picked up his basket once more. Then, in the corner of his eye, Syaoran saw Tgaeh tending to a man who had just fallen. This entire day, he hadn't got a chance to talk to him, explaining everything to his friend. Syaoran shrugged. He'll try to explain it all later, then. Once he got back to the pile, Syaoran tried to yank a stone out of a squeeze that it was in, cursing many times as he tried.  
  
Suddenly, a large stick poked in at the stone, and it fell down to the ground, right next to Syaoran. He looked up, and saw the soldier standing there. Quickly, Syaoran picked it up, and threw it into his basket. "Thanks, Mushi. Again," he smiled gratefully at him.  
  
"What are you still doing here?" he said, a bit of surprise showing in his eyes.  
  
"Oh, you thought I would leave?" Syaoran asked him, putting another stone into the basket. "I mean, I must admit, that palace place just wasn't for me, why with all those shiny bright walls. It kind of got to my eyes." He turned to smile at the soldier once more. "But, this place isn't so bad," he panted. "A little bit of sunshine doesn't do anybody any harm, ne?"  
  
"I thought that you would leave this entire city," he said.  
  
"Aww... and after all that work that you went to, in order to save me? Nooo," Syaoran smiled. "I couldn't just leave you here to yourself, you know. Besides, if she wants me, then she'll just have to come and get me. I'm not following no more bahirns - or whatever the heck you guys are called - anymore."  
  
The guy just stood there, when he suddenly threw something at Syaoran. Catching it just in time before it hit his face, Syaoran stared at it, and found it to be a small glass container of some cream stuff in it. "It is balm for your skin," the soldier explained. "It helps heal and protect from the rays of the sun when it is too bright out here as well. Use it well. There is not very much in that small jar." And with those words, he turned around, ready to leave.  
  
Before he went far, Syaoran yelled out, "Thanks, Mushi!"  
  
He stopped for a second, then continued to walk off. "My name is not Mushi," he stated, loud enough for Syaoran to hear.  
  
Syaoran's eyebrows furrowed in exasperation. "Then what is it?"  
  
"It is not for you to know."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Day 12 - Shadow World  
  
Tomoyo stared at the sign in the crossroads. "Can I call this irony?" she smiled at Yue. "Because this is extremely funny, since we both didn't know that we'd get off so easily." Looking at the sign, it showed the cities at each direction. "Now... Ms. Kaho said that we are trying to get to Lyrra, right? So we should go... This way." With those words, Tomoyo walked towards the direction of the path. She stopped when she saw that Yue did not move at all.  
  
Turning around, she asked, "Yue?"  
  
From where he stood, he looked at her, and nodded, and he followed her steps. "How long do you think that it'll take, Yue?" Tomoyo asked him.  
  
"I truly do not have a notion at all," he told her. "All we can do is walk and see. Do not worry, though. After all, I think that Ruby Moon gave you enough for-"  
  
"A month," Tomoyo laughed. "She was kind of angry though, when she realized that we would be going, and she was excluded and all. I guess that she was hoping to get some action or something. But since she couldn't, she probably just hoped that I would have a good time doing what I wanted. Of course, she wasn't exactly as lenient towards you..."  
  
"Bah," he replied softly. "She is unruly like that, and not really much can hold her down. She is too similar to Cerberus... in an unfortunate way." That just got a laugh out of Tomoyo.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Day 11 - Shadow World  
  
"Psst! Sakura! Wake up!" Sakura felt somebody shaking her shoulder violently. She whine softly as she opened her eyes, staring at the boy with glasses.  
  
"It's still night, Eriol," she whispered grumpily. "What in the world do you _want _at this hour-" Suddenly, Eriol held a finger to her lips, silencing her.  
  
"Hush," he shushed, then pointed up. "Look," he told her softly. "Somebody is up there."  
  
Peering up, Sakura narrowed her eyes when she heard footsteps shuffling around up there, then mixed in with voices. 'They must be here somewhere.' 'Yeah. The Master said that they would be around this vicinity.' 'Magic. Probably hiding.' 'Well? Suck them out, then!'  
  
Sakura turned to look at Eriol, who was already mumbling a spell with his staff out. Suddenly, Sakura felt the small room vibrate as the voices above started to move away from their position. She looked at Eriol, confusion on her face. "What did you do?" she asked. When he didn't answer her, Sakura bit her lip, scared that she had angered him again in some other way.  
  
She waited for what seemed like forever, until she saw a drop of sweat trickle down his cheek. Suddenly, his staff fell from his grasp, and he collapsed to the floor. Crawling up to him, Sakura bit her lip. "Eriol?" she whispered, anxious for her friend's well-being. "Eriol, are you okay?!"   
  
Looking up at her, he grinned. "I had to wake you up so that you'd know what was going on. After all, I didn't want to keep you not knowing, like before. You just didn't seem to like it when I did that. I was just moving us away from them," he explained. "And as I did, I got us closer to Syaoran, maybe even a ten miles or more. But I needed to concentrate at first, Sakura, so I couldn't answer you, do you understand? That took a lot of energy to even make it happen. And they won't be able to follow us. I made sure that all the magical energy I had spent would be cleaned up. So, as you can see, I had a lot to do at first, but at least we're going to be safe."  
  
Hearing those words, Sakura sighed happily. "That's wonderful," she smiled. "Now come on; I'm ready to get back to sleep. It's been a strenuous adventure, you know."  
  
"And it's not over yet," Eriol told her.  
  
Sakura nodded, and watched as he crawled back into his sleeping bag. She bit her lip once more, and closed her eyes for a minute, watching as he immediately fell asleep. Using his magic must have exhausted him more that she had considered, she realized. Sakura, she had decided to come and get Syaoran back from whoever who kidnapped him. But so far, all she was able to do was watch as Eriol saved her time after time, and she didn't even have to raise a finger. It's... It just seems that Eriol was the one who came to save Syaoran, and she was only here along for the ride.  
  
Dragging herself back to her own sleeping bag, she stayed awake, wondering what was happening to Syaoran so far. _Oh... Syaoran... Please don't EVER make me do this again, to come search for you so hopelessly. I just feel so useless... Next time that you get kidnapped, make sure that I can be able to switch places with you..._  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Day 16 - Shadow World  
  
Syaoran gasped as he woke up, trying to take in a breath, but ended up trying his best to even try to breath. He wiped his brow, sweating, and then raked his fingers through his messy hair. Syaoran shook his head, and found that his thin blanket had been tossed to the floor in the process of his nightmare, most likely.  
  
His dreams... A jumble of images. Or, at least that was how he remembered it. He remembered his lips on somebody else's. He remembered how something sharp went against his face. Then he remembered... He recalled pain. Pain of some sort. Syaoran pressed the base of his hand to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to recollect more.  
  
His eyes shot open when he evoked another image in his head. Shuddering a bit, his confused self wanted to know what it meant. Getting up, he got off of the bench he was sleeping on and shot off to Tgaeh's room.  
  
Seeing his sleeping friend, he violently started to try to awaken him up. Shaking him up, Syaoran hissed, "Tgaeh! Tgaeh! I have a question! Please, come on, man. You have to get up!"  
  
Moaning, Tgaeh turned around, and slowly sat up a bit. "Syaoran, of all the-! What in the world do you want at this time of the night?" he asked, obviously not in a good mood. "Is somebody at the door?"  
  
Syaoran shook his head. "Tgaeh, I need you to explain to me what a Name means."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
Day 15 - Shadow World  
  
Sakura groaned as she stumbled in the hot sun, glaring happily down at their tortured bodies. The sand underneath burned their feet, and the sun smoldered into their heads. Oh, the lovely wonders of the desert. They had gotten out of the forests just about a day after their avoidances of the soldiers, and now stumbled into a desert. "Will we see grass ever again?" she gasped, her throat dried as it cried for water, and she turned to look at Eriol, who didn't seem to be happy about this as well.  
  
"Then do you want to stop walking for a while and take a rest, Sakura?" he asked her, looking at her with concern. "You look as if you're going to faint or drop if you take another step."  
  
Stubbornly, she walked a few more paces, and turned to look at him. "I'm fine, see?" she smiled. "We can continue on. I'm sure that we're getting closer. Closer to Syaoran..."  
  
"Yes, and closer to exhaustion," Eriol persisted, still frowning at her stubbornness of not wanting to rest, even though the longing showed on her face. "Now come on. Let's-" Suddenly, he heard a loud sound of rumbling, and looked up towards the sky. Staring at it for a while, his eyebrows narrowed as he looked on at the blue sky, a bit confused. "Wow. Those clouds sure came out of nowhere..." he remarked.  
  
Sakura looked up as well, her face straight up to the sky. "Well, maybe- ah!" she yelped, rubbing her eye as she felt something go into it. Seeing Eriol about to run up to her, maybe thinking that she was attacked or something, Sakura just stated with a shrug, "It was water that dropped into my eye." Suddenly, she gaped at her words. "Water?" she whispered.  
  
Eriol held his hand in the air, palms up, and felt tiny drops of liquid starting to slap onto it. "Oh, wow..." he mumbled, looking at his friend. Then, a smile broke onto his face as he shouted, "It's starting to rain!"  
  
Giggling, Sakura jumped around a bit in happiness as the drops started to fall more and more. And soon, it started to pour heavily onto their heads. Yet still, the two of them just stood there, laughing as they thanked the sky. "Thank GOD!" Sakura shouted, twirling in it. Then, she grinned at Eriol. "Let's go! Remember what we're supposed to be doing?"  
  
"Um... Waltz to _Carmen _or some other classical music right now in joy?" Eriol guessed. When he saw Sakura starting to glare at him, Eriol chuckled. "Fine, fine. Let's get moving, then. Little Miss Happy just can't take a joke, ne."  
  
"Yeah, well-" Sakura started, when another rumbling sound started to ignite. She almost lost her balance, when Eriol reached out and grabbed her arm so that she stayed on her feet. Staring off to the never-ending waves of sand, Sakura squinted her eyes to try to get a better view. Whatever the disturbance was, it was obviously something large and coming straight at them at a pretty fast speed. She looked at Eriol. "It _is _coming towards us, isn't it?" she whispered in a worried voice.  
  
Eriol pursed his lips, and nodded his head. "Yes," he said softly. "Whatever it is, it's coming towards us. That means that they just won't let us stroll through these lands to the city, huh?" Looking around through the pouring rain, Eriol walked closer to Sakura, his eyes narrowing at the mysterious occurrence. "Stand close to me," he shouted to her over the rain. Then, he took out his staff, ready for whatever was to come. Clenching it hard in his hand, he did not speak any spells yet, in case it was just a passing earthquake. Then maybe he'd activate a shield of some sort.  
  
The rumbling sound started to get louder, and louder as each second passed. Sakura cringed as she closed the gap between Eriol and her. She had no magic with her right now, so what could she do? Feeling a sense of uselessness once more, Sakura got closer to Eriol, and gripped the sleeve of his t-shirt.  
  
All of a sudden, Sakura heard Eriol gave a gasp of a cry. "S... Sa... Sakura..." Eriol whispered to her, and he fell to the ground, his staff decreasing until it became to its miniature size. She lost her breath when it all happened, as if it were in slow motion, and the sound of the rumbling was push out of her mind. She watched as he dropped, an arrow piercing into his back, through to his stomach. Blood was not only coming from there, because for some reason, the red liquid was dripping down his head as well. Eriol's shirt was already starting to stain with the deep red color, and it soon enveloped Sakura's entire view, her hand over her mouth as she felt hot tears come to her eyes. The arrow was jabbed into him, and the blood kept coming, flowing. It kept coming, and coming... And that was all that her mind could take in as she watched helplessly. Her lips started to quiver as she slowly bent down to him. Gently and in a daze, she tried to shake him, finally getting her voice back.  
  
"Eriol," she whispered, her voice quivering in shock, now gradually starting to shake him harder and harder. "Eriol, it's-it's me. Come on, Eriol. Stop joking. Please..." When he wouldn't wake, Sakura started to really go at it. "No..." she whimpered, ignoring how some of the red liquid was already starting to get on her hand. "No, you can't leave me. This ISN'T FUNNY!!!! ERIOL!!!!!!" she shrieked.  
  
Unexpectedly, a person appeared right next to her, but she just continued to shake him, thinking, _Oh, God. The blood. Look at the blood. It's all over him. And it's HIS blood, too. He's hurt. He's HURT. Eriol... Eriol... Eriol..._ "WAKE UP!!!" she cried. "Please, WAKE UP!!!!"  
  
"He is not dead," the person stated. "Now come. Let us go."  
  
Looking, and never hearing his words, Sakura saw that half of his body was not there. All she was able to do was look past him, and see the desert lands. "Illusions..." she uttered in a soft voice that was barely above a whisper. _Illusions... Eriol couldn't see them because they were invisible..._ she realized. Then, she turned back to Eriol, ignoring the man standing in front of her, and placed her arms over his back, his blood drenching her sleeves, sinking in to cover her arms. "Eriol! Help!! Help me, Eriol!!" With those words, she cried into him, her head on top of her arms.  
  
Suddenly, she found herself breathing fresh air, the smell of blood slightly away from her senses. Looking around, she found an arm wrapped around her waist, carrying her off. A horse. She could hear the hooves of a horse. Reaching her arm out, and her other trying to wring herself out of the man's grasp, she found herself crying, tears streaming down her face. She could see her outstretched hand, the blood dripping from it as the rain fell, clearing some of it away. Yet still, the blood was there, lingering on her as she was leaving him on the sand, for the rain could not take it all away. She could feel it on her arms, her shirt, her face. And it was all HIS blood. All Eriol's. None was hers at all. And right now, she was leaving him... Leaving him there till the all the blood in his body will leave him as well. "Eriol!" she screamed. "_ERIOL!!!!_"  



	10. A New Sense of Sadness

_ Yay!! I got chapter ten out. Damn... I never knew I wrote so much... *sigh* Well, this is actually a fun fic for me, because of the couple that I want to develop, but didn't develop yet. but am planning to develop... um... Okay. Let's just move on to the fic. *grins*_  
  
_ Rei Eien: Hehe. It's out! I'm so glad you like this. ^^  
  
Elizabeth: Is this soon enough??? Yeeaaahhhh. Me thinks so.  
  
Jared: Awww!! So happy that you've been reading and reviewing this fic!! *glomps Jared*  
  
RuByMoOn: Zank yewwww!!! Thanks for reading and reviewing this fic! \^o^/  
  
cute angel: You luv my story?! AH! ME so happy!!  
  
Chachagirl*88: Well, if he sensed it, then he'd beat them up, and where's the interesting part gonna come up then?? We gotta do SOMETHING evil to Eriol. *Grins an oh-so-evil grin* Yeah, I know... poor Eriol... T_T  
  
:D: Thank you!  
  
?: I updated!!!! Yay!!!_  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
**Chapter Ten: A New Sense of Sadness**  
  
_Day 17 - Shadow World_  
  
Syaoran turned to look at Tgaeh as he pulled a rock from another wedge. Grumbling as he turned back to his own work, he remembered how Tgaeh just mumbled to him to sleep and tell him the next day. Well, damn it, today is the next day, and he wanted answers. _A Name... It just sounded so important, like life and death... But it's only a Name._ Yet by the looks of Tgaeh, it seems that he would have to wait.  
  
As he took out another stone, and looked around, Syaoran found the site to be reducing gradually. _I wonder what they're going to make. If Sakura can see this- _And his thought stopped right there. _Sakura... That's right... She's not here with me right now. She's still... gone.  
_  
_ Well, I guess that it's better to say that I'M gone, not really her, but still. I miss her... Is she searching for me at all right now? It's been... How long? I haven't kept track of time, but it's really been a while. Or... it seems like it. Damn. It seems like it's been _forever_. Does she know how much I long to see her? How much this torture is killing me, that I need her here with me? Does she miss me a well?_  
  
Grabbing another stone, Syaoran threw it into his basket, when he realized that the entire container was full. Grumbling, he threw some back out, until he knew how much he could handle for the distance. Lifting it up, he staggered over to the disposal section, and happily got rid of the rocks, doing all of this half-heartedly. Sakura was still filling up all of his thoughts, and when it came to her, nothing could come interrupt any of these sessions.  
  
Closing his eyes for a second to rest, he saw an image of her in his mind, smiling at him. Suddenly, he felt something hanging from his neck, and Syaoran took the object into his hands. His eyes widened when he saw that it was his necklace. _Wow... I've been so caught up with everything that I totally forgot that I had this on me._ Clicking it open, Syaoran smiled softly when he saw the picture, sighing. He felt himself relax a bit more, now knowing that he shouldn't doubt at all that Sakura wouldn't be lounging around when he's gone like this.  
  
_She's finding me; I know she is. Sakura's probably searching for me right now..._ he said to himself. _And I know that-_  
  
Suddenly, Syaoran found himself pushed against the rocky walls, scratching himself up. "Ah!" he gave a short cry, and turned around to glare at whoever who did that. "Watch it, man!" Then, he saw a soldier standing behind him, eyes wide when he heard Syaoran retort at him like that. Sucking in his breath, Syaoran watched as the man pursed his lips in anger.  
  
"Who are you to speak to me in that manner, commoner?!" the bahrrn shouted at him.  
  
Cringing a bit, Syaoran found himself smirking slightly. "I'm not a commoner," he said in a calm voice, seeing the soldier's eyes widen even more when he talked back. In a way, it was pretty humorous within itself. "I'm a wizard." Then, he just stared at the soldier, who's face was starting to turn a VERY fuming red.  
  
"Falsehood is an offense! You have spoke against an officer, _commoner_! Then you say that you are a wizard! And speaking of magic to relate to oneself is already worthy of a _beating _or even...!" Then, after he listed this crimes that Syaoran had committed in hardly five minutes, the bahrrn gave a smirk. "I think you will have a very relaxing time in Solitary, do you not think so?"  
  
Syaoran's eyes narrowed at those words._ Solitary... I've heard of it. Tgaeh told me about it once. But... damn! I totally forgot what it is..._ So instead, Syaoran backed up from the soldier. "No thanks," he laughed softly. "I think that I'll be just fine doing this instead. You know, picking up the bricks and all-"  
  
Suddenly, he felt the soldier grab his arm, and jerked him away from the site. Syaoran groaned softly to himself. When he turned his head around, he saw Tgaeh, eyes wide with dread showing on his face, his entire face drained of all color. Suddenly, it all popped back into his head.  
  
_ "I had it for five minutes, and I came back looking all blue. At least, that's what mum and dad said. I don't remember anything about it, though... All I remember was that it was very bright, but very dark as well. Kind of glad that I don't remember, really. Don't think that I'd still be here if I did. There were some would didn't even make it back! Why, I was just a lucky one. Some never came back out, and others die a few minutes after they stumbled back into their home. If their lucky, they're just broken and cry all the time. Who knows. It's always a different reaction when each one comes back, but they're always worse than before."_  
  
"Wait a minute!" Syaoran protested. "Aren't I supposed to get to go to Solitary if I offend the Master or something? Not because I offended you?"  
  
Suddenly, the soldier flashed a carved piece of stone in his face, about the size of one's palm. On the stone were the markings and shapes that closely resembled fire. "I am the Master's head bahrrn," he exclaimed. "Do you know nothing?! That means that I get to choose your punishment, peasant," he threw the words out at Syaoran in a sneer.  
  
Syaoran frowned. _This is going to be GREAT... Of all the luck I have, I was just blessed with being able to talk back to the head honcho here. Oh, joy!_  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 15 - Shadow World_  
  
Sakura groaned as she woke up, feeling sore all over. Opening her eyes, she sat up, being supported by her arms. But once she looked down, it all came rushing back at her, crashing into her head as she stared at her bloody hands. Well, her hands were not too bloodied up, but with the blood encrusted onto her hand from not washing them, it was more than enough to freak her out. All in all, she felt like retching.  
  
Slowly getting up, Sakura looked around, and found herself in a cave with nothing else there. She cringed as the torches crackled with the fire, causing slight ache to her eyes, her knees starting to give way. Biting her lip to stop herself from crying out, Sakura started to walk.  
  
Suddenly, an explosive noise ignited in the cave, and Sakura fell to the ground when it started to shake beneath her. Sitting up, she stared around, shadows moving across the walls, taunting her as they laughed. Noises, voices, they began to call out, getting closer and closer to her. Sakura cringed when she heard footsteps all around, some stomping on the ground, as others were just shuffling along.  
  
"Get up," a clear voice said, loud enough for her to hear over the chaotic noises. Looking up, she saw the same man who had brought her here, and she flinched, backing up away from him. He looked to be taller than Eriol from where she sat, and this time, he was not half-invisible. He had fiery red hair that was tied in a ponytail, eyes as black as ebony, and maybe in his twenties. He wore armor over his breeches and clothing. Obviously seeing her fright, the man just chuckled. "There is no use in getting away. We have been watching you since I took you and allowed for you to sleep on the ground."  
  
"Were you the one who shot Eriol?" she whispered so softly that she thought he wouldn't be able to hear her.  
  
His lips moved up to half a smile, and Sakura felt anger starting to rise up, dimming her fear away. He didn't need to answer her, for she knew what was going to say anyway. "Yes," he answered in a perky voice. "I shot the arrow through his back, and knocked him out with my staff, which is why you saw him bleeding in the head."  
  
Narrowing her eyes at him, Sakura shot up, and ran up to him. A loud sound riveted through the halls of the caves when she slapped in on the face. Suddenly, she noticed how many of the warriors were standing around the two of them, and how they had ceased making sounds that clashed in her ears. The man was staring at her, his arms at his side, never lifting up to hold his cheek where she had strike. "You dare..." he whispered.  
  
Sakura found herself crashing to the ground, scraping it as she slid on it. Groaning, she looked up, and saw him smiling down at her, his hand held in a fist. Her shoulder cried out in pain from where he hit her, and her head rocked with dizziness. Sakura held her shoulder with her hands, which were painted with dried blood. She winced as she got up, ignoring how she shouldn't push him to a limit, and yelled, "Take me back to him! How DARE you hurt him like that!"  
  
Instead, the guy just grinned some more, and ordered, "Take her and clean her up. She must look appealing when I set my eyes on her again." Suddenly, about a dozen women rushed out and grabbed onto Sakura's arm. She glared at them, and jerked away, but still got dragged away as she struggled continued to try to struggle.  
  
"Let go of me! Let me GO!! Give him back to me!" she yelled at the laughing warrior as she tried to ignore the pain the women were giving her when some of them squeezed her shoulder. "Take me back to him!!!!"  
  
Sakura found herself turning a corner, and dragged down a hallway, while the laughter was fading away from her ears now. There were many smaller entrances to other parts all around, she saw, and she was took to one of them. Once she entered, one of the women closed the entrance by cover it with a curtain. Sakura was turned around, and she found herself pushed into a large pool. Shivering, she found the water to be freezing cold.  
  
Looking around, Sakura realized now that they were going to rid her of the blood on herself. Quickly, she took off her shirt, which had been drenched with Eriol's blood before, and threw it onto dry ground. Glaring at them, she said, "Don't wash that shirt of mine's. It's... It's probably going to be only memory I'll ever have of my friend. I know it's weird of me to keep such red marks of wounds, but I... I... Please..." Even though she started harsh and distance, the tone of her voice reduced to pleading. She realized that no matter what, she was still only one person, and the rest of them could seriously do as they wish to whatever she had on her.  
  
"Why should we?" one of the women sniffed. She had long, golden blond hair that was tied into a ponytail, rested down her shoulders to her waist, and also looked to be about Sakura's own age as well. "Lord Vequal wants you appealing. We must do as he asks-"  
  
"Oh, leave her be, Irian," another one said, and walked up to them. She had black hair, with streaks of blue in them, and looked to be the age of the one called Irian. "I was there, do you not remember, and she grieved much for the man who fell. Just let her keep what she wishes. Maidens," she said to the others, "Do not cleanse or dispose of that piece of clothing. And heat up the water; she looks as if her face is turning blue from the temperature." Bending down, the woman rolled up her sleeves, and beckoned to Sakura. "Come, lady. We will wash you." Sakura backed up a bit, and was about to protest when Irian opened her mouth first.  
  
"Oh, Haeli," Irian rolled her eyes. "Why fall to the whims of this one little child? We should be able to do as we wish with her items-"  
  
"We will give her new attire to wear then, Irian. Will you be content now?" Haeli told her. She then turned to Sakura. "I am sure that you are able to wash yourself at your own will, but this is of our customs, and since you are here, I suggest that you just follow them. That should be of no problem now, shall it?"  
  
"I was not brought here of my own will," Sakura retorted back, a grieving look on her face as she looked up at the two who were tending to her. She had lifted her arm up, and now they were scrubbing her, rubbing all the blood off her now, and a few more came to wash her as well. Others were going about to other stuff, bringing in new clothing, heating the water, getting items for washing her, or just anything else that she probably wouldn't understand. Sakura closed her eyes, find them to burn with tears. "Do you think that he's dead?" she whispered, feeling a hole in her burdensome heart. She blinked the tears away quickly, wanting nothing to do with her idiotic crying self at this instant.  
  
Sighing, Haeli smiled reassuringly at her. "I-"  
  
"He had an arrow pierced from his back through to his stomach. That stupid lord of yours then hit him hard on the head. And when I left, the blood just kept..." she takes in a trembling breath. "The blood... It just wouldn't stop coming out. And I did nothing to stop it. I just kept trying to wake him up. I... I should've done better than that. I really should've-"  
  
"Oh, hush it, lady. You grieve like a baby," Irian scolded.  
  
"No," Haeli whispered. "She grieves like a lover."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened at those words, shock replacing some sadness. "Oh, no! Oh, my God, no!" Sakura said in a horrific tone, feeling a light blush flow over her face. "I... Eriol, he is my friend. I have known him for years, and he left once long ago. We've just met up again a short while ago. I... I don't want him _dead_, too, you know. I'm grieving like a friend should."  
  
"I was there, lady," Haeli told her. "Yes, I was there. And you were right. Illusions. We have invisibility attire, which were given to us by Lord Vequal. I saw your face when you saw him fall. Ah, if there were a more pained face that I have ever laid eyes on, it would still not be as harsh as yours. You looked as if the world had ended for you, and you would not believe it even if fate told you straight in the face. You kept shaking him, crying for him to wake. It would bring tears to my eyes, but I do not cry. If you two are not lovers, then there is something peculiar about the way you mourned for him, for I when I see pain such as yours, it is surrounded by strong emotions."  
  
Sakura frowned at her words. "Ah, if only I can feel as this maiden does, then," Irian smiled sadly, longing on her face now, instead of annoyance. "You see, lady, one such as you should be considered fortunate to have such feelings in yourself. In our band of people, love is a harsh battle, and never much good comes out of it. I do not see why you wish to deny it. From Haeli's words, it seems that either he loves you back, or he does not, and you hurt even more."  
  
"No," Sakura said slowly. "It's just that, well, there is somebody special in my heart already. Eriol knows that, and I know that. We're really just good friends. The only reason we are traveling together is to search for him-" Stopping in her words, Sakura suddenly glared at them. "You work for Dtarna, don't you?" Seeing the expressions on their tired faces, Sakura shook her head. "Why does she keep doing this to us?! Already, I've... I've... Oh, Syaoran..."  
  
"We do not work for her," one of the maidens replied.  
  
"Lord Vequal does," another woman said softly.  
  
"He is in love."  
  
"He wants."  
  
"He desires."  
  
"He is blind," Haeli said in a hopeless tone of voice. "She called him to her palace once, and he went, not knowing if he should or not. He was gone for days, and just returned a few ago. He told us that a small group shall travel with him to the desert, and catch a prisoner there. A few of us went, but before we did, Lord Vequal gave us some invisibility cloaks. They were filled with heavy magic. I was there as well, and I asked him what Dtarna told him. He just looked at me harshly, and said that I was to never call her that name ever again, that it was for him to say, and for him alone. She has spelled him to see her only, and it is working."  
  
Suddenly, a thought popped up into Sakura's mind. "Wait a minute. Okay. The city she owns or rules over is known as Lyrra, right?" After she saw them nod their heads, she continued, "Then how far is it away from here? It is just about a day's walk from here or something, since he went there and came back so fast?"  
  
"Oh, I guess that I should explained better," Haeli said. "She willed him to her side, so he did not go there all the way. The lady Dtarna has strong magic as such. Why, if he traveled, it would have taken maybe ten days at the least, and it would not be quite that easy of a task, really. Thus, when he was there, she must have enchanted him, or bribed, for Lord Vequal is more often than not hard to please. She has done something to him."  
  
Sakura nodded. Together, since she found him in the town, Eriol and her had probably been traveling for a week at the most. To add at least ten more days to that... Sakura groaned, shaking her head. _I can't concentrate at ALL. Eriol... What if he's dead? What if, what if... I can't think of that what if. I just need to think positively. He'll come get me. He will. After all, him dying is totally out of the question. At least... it better be._  
  
"Ah, lady, your mind is not even on Lord Vequal or Dtarna anymore," Haeli smiled sympathetically. "You say that you already have a loved one? Well, then why is he gone from you? Did Dtarna do something to him?"  
  
"Yes," Sakura whispered, sinking into the water. Her wet clothes were starting to get to her, but the women were already helping her out of them. "Dtarna took him away from me, which is why Eriol and I came here. She forced him to follow her, probably. I don't know. All I know is that I need to get him back to me."  
  
Haeli shook her head, and sighed. "Aye, lady. Aye. If that is what you think, then just go ahead and think that. But, before you go through any more of those tenacious thoughts, let me tell you something. It is not as if I wish for you to lessen your faith, but... Dtarna. She does not force. Well, she does later on, but that is after the person willingly follows her. That special man of yours... He willingly gave himself to her, and she took him away."  
  
Sakura listened to her, and bit her lip. "No," she said in a trembling voice, starting to shake her head. Backing away from the women, Sakura felt anger surge through her once more. "You don't understand; Syaoran, he doesn't do those things to me! He wouldn't. I mean, how can he want to go willingly?!"  
  
"Maybe he saw the image of another before him?" Irian suggested, turning to look at Haeli. "I mean, she is a master of deception as well as magic. And if he sees the image of another, then he must say yes to her, will he not?"  
  
Haeli pondered on this, and closing her eyes, she nodded her head. Looking back at the wearied Sakura, Haeli held her hand out. "I apologize for my assumptions, my lady. And what I hear is what I tell. After all, it does take two to make a situation like this. Or, in this case, maybe even three or four. Please do not think ill of me because of this."  
  
Sakura shook her head. "I won't," she promised. _But this really does get me thinking... Damn it all..._  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 17 - Shadow World_  
  
Syaoran recoiled when he saw himself getting dragged to a huge cave. Peering at the soldier, he suddenly gave a strong and forceful kick, throwing the guard off of him. Syaoran then pushed him down onto the ground, and quickly turned around to run off. Suddenly, he saw two more soldiers charging up at him when they saw the incident. Syaoran smirked, and hastily, he crouched down to slide in another kick that tripped the both of them at the same time.  
  
Sensing something behind him, Syaoran jumped up, flipped in the air to see that the first soldier had gotten back up, and had hit the spot with a spear where Syaoran stood a few seconds ago. Rolling his eyes, Syaoran landed on the soldier's shoulders. He then squatted down and whacked his hand, in the shape of a knife, on the side of the bahrrn's head, causing him to fall instantly. Swiftly, Syaoran then leaped off of the soldier's shoulders and back on the ground perfectly.  
  
But it had hardly knocked the bahrrn out, who just turned around to face Syaoran with the spear in his head, the sharp end held high up into the air. Without a second's hesitation, he charged up to Syaoran, the spear pointing straight at the teenager's chest. Sucking in a breath, Syaoran swerves to the side in time to feel the short wind of the weapon zoom past him. He then hastily grabbed onto the stick, and punched through the thin object into two jagged pieces. Grabbing onto the head, Syaoran threw it to the side, and turned to the soldier.  
  
Throwing the other piece away as well, the bahrrn then held his fists up, his face red with hatred and loathe. No words came out of them as he struck first once more, and punched straight at Syaoran's stomach. This time, it caught him off-guard, and Syaoran fell back, the wind practically knocked out of him. Gasping for a breath, Syaoran got back onto his feet, and blocked the soldier's next hit with his own hand, clenching onto the soldier's striking one. Jerking his hand back and backing up, the soldier jumped up into the air.  
  
Syaoran rolled out of the way, and felt the man's boot bang onto the ground, causing everything to vibrate around it. Holding his hands in a defensive mode, Syaoran stayed in the crouched position, and waited for the predictable charge from the soldier. When it came, Syaoran bent his head down, and fell to his back against the ground. Feeling the bahrrn above him for those few seconds, Syaoran gave a sharp kick, and also punched him in a face at the same time.  
  
The soldier flew back, and knocked onto a stone wall, falling down in a tiring heap afterwards. Syaoran sat there for a few minutes, making sure that the bahrrn wouldn't get up anytime soon at all. After those few minutes were up, Syaoran let out a relieved breath.  
  
Getting up and wiping his brow, he smiled in satisfaction with the soldiers groaning on the ground. Just about to turn around, Syaoran was jumping with joy inside to know that he's still got a few moves in him to keep himself away from all those bruises and wounds. After all, right now, he's just walking off with maybe a scratch or two on his chest from where that idiotic soldier had kicked him. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his head as he fell onto the ground. "AH-!!" he started to cry out, when the world around him started to spin. He then felt two arms grabbed onto his, dragging him to the cave. The other two had gained their consciousness back again, and had lashed out at him when he just thought that he was free to run off.  
  
Feeling the jagged rocks on his knees, Syaoran groaned as he felt his view of everything around him starting to blur and turn hazy. His last memorable images were of him looking up, and seeing the soldier standing guard at the entrance to the Solitary. He looked into Mushi's surprised eyes, and felt everything around him give way to the darkness.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_ Hehe. I had fun with that last scene. ^_^ It's too bad Syaoran's ass got kicked anyway after all he did at first. As you can see, Eriol's not in this chapter. He's... well... oh, never mind! You can find out later on. *grins* Please read and review!!!_


	11. To See Too Much

_ Hey-oooo!! More people are reading this fic now! Either that, or more people are just starting to review... hehe. Keep reading and reviewing, people!! I love you, and it gives me inspiration to work on!!!  
  
Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me._  
  
_Rei Eien: Awwww~~~!! I love your review!! Eriol... he's... somewhere. Maybe. Yeah. Sure... Umm... *goes away*  
  
Kaji Hikage: Spiffy is such a cool word. *Yeah!*  
  
(Anonymous): I updated! Yah!  
  
Jared: So glad you're still sticking with this fic! \^o^/  
  
RuByMoOn: The E+S will come in, I promise you that. Hee!  
  
moon smurf: :-P *laughs* You happy? ^^ Updated! Eriol in it? Ehh.... *goes away, too*  
  
Elizabeth: Coolies! Umm... Was this soon enough, too???  
  
Elle-poohbear: Awwww! Yay!!! I'm so glad you reviewed and told me you liked it. ^^ Makes me feel soooo special!  
  
;): Yeah, poor Syaoran. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine. I hope...  
  
Magie: When I started this and it continued on, I started to realize what a great original story it would make... I felt so sad, because I REALLLLYY then started to want to write an original. Too late now. It's not gonna be original anymore. *laughs* You have good stamina, to be able to read so much at one time... ten chapters.. @_@ I LOVE YOU!!!  
  
Winged Guardian: I updated! Love me!! *laughs*  
  
Gigicerisier: Hehe. More answers are given in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing! Review again!! ^________^_  
  
**Chapter Eleven: To See Too Much**  
  
_Day 17 - Shadow World_  
  
Syaoran felt himself shuffle his arms a bit as his eyes slowly opened, yet he saw nothing. Sensing around slightly with his hands, he managed to pick up that he was at least shoved into the cave already, and there were no sources of light anywhere. He sat up, and ruffled his fingers through his hair, wondering what he was supposed to do here. _People died after coming here to Solitary, after all, _Syaoran thought to himself. _So it must be something BIG... And I'm just dead meat waiting for it to come._  
  
Standing up, Syaoran looked around, and wrapped his arms around himself when he felt a chill go through him._ And now would be another good time for me to have my magic with me. UNfortunately, I do not. My sword is gone, and my scrolls have been stripped from me. What in the world am I going to do when... when... I don't even want to think about it._  
  
He started to walk in reverse, backing up a bit into whatever he could, so that Syaoran would at least know that there was at least a wall somewhere in this pitch black location. He held his hands up in a position to defend himself, just in case anybody, or anything, was going to come rush up at him. If only he had learned enough to sense through, even in the dark. But that takes time, and he had not yet finished all of his training yet. Just as Sakura had not mastered her techniques with her own cards. She's got it down, but mastering something is hard, and takes many, many years. _Like Clow Reed..._ Syaoran thought.  
  
Suddenly, he heard footsteps walking up to him. Turning around, Syaoran narrowed his eyes, and was about to strike. He had not truly recovered completely from the last brawl he was in, but he still had enough in him to give the person walking up towards him a good match. When Syaoran's fist moved forward, a bright light flashed around the room, causing him to flinch. Opening his eyes slowly, he quickly pulled his hand back, which was inches away from the person's face.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 17 - Shadow World_  
  
"Tomoyo?!" Syaoran yelled, his fist so close to her face that he could feel her breath on it. The cave had suddenly lit up with light, but Syaoran just ignored it. Hastily, he pulled it back, and stared at her in an incredulous look. She was wearing her school uniform, and she smiled at him. Seeing her face, Syaoran found himself gaining a sense of deja vu in him again. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he looked back at her, narrowing his eyes a bit. "Okay. Never mind. Who are you?"  
  
Suddenly, she grinned slightly, and walked up to him. Her smile widened more when she saw him trying to back up from her. "Hello, Syaoran," she whispered. There was a strange glint in her eyes, and her lips were curved up in a not-so-comforting smile. Syaoran held his arms up, wanting to fight her, but not knowing if he really wanted to hurt her or not.  
  
_But she is not Tomoyo,_ he thought to himself. _So_... Stomping up to her instead of backing away, Syaoran took her by the collar, and pulled her up slightly. "Okay. Tell me how to get out of here, before I knock your head until it starts to seriously spin around, lady." Seeing her shake her head, Syaoran rolled his eyes, and socked her in her stomach. He winced when he heard her fall, gasping for breath. Even if she wasn't Tomoyo, she still sounded like his friend, and that freaked him out a bit.  
  
Standing back up, she staggered a bit, but walked back up to the boy. Syaoran was about to give a high kick, when she suddenly stopped his leg with one hand, just seconds before it reached her face. Smirking, she twisting his leg, causing him to twirl and fall to the ground. Picking himself back up, Syaoran struck out once more, when she blocked with her hand again as well. After that, for each blow he gave, she defended, a smile still on her face. But as this continued on for longer than the two of them suspected, Tomoyo started to move back, and her face showed that she was starting to struggle against his attacks.  
  
She narrowed her eyes, and sucked in a short breath before she uppercut him on the chin. Syaoran scowled as he rubbed the stinging bottom part of his face for a second, then kicked her away from him. He stared at Tomoyo, his eyes wide at what was going on. It was hard to even _try _to believe that Tomoyo could be doing this right now, fighting as if she were an expert, and not holding up a camera like what she usually does.  
  
All of a sudden, Tomoyo walked back up to Syaoran. She held her hand out straight at him, with Syaoran responding by narrowing his eyes and clenching his hands into fists one more time. Unexpectedly, he started to hear a voice in his head, piercing his mind like a needle. _Remember me..._ it crooned to him, causing him to clutch his head in pain. Looking up, Syaoran saw Tomoyo walking closer. Yet with the pain in him, he did not try to stop her at all as he staggered around.  
  
Taking in short gasps of breath, Syaoran found himself struggling so hard to stay stable that he was sweating. He cringed and recoiled away when he felt two hands brush against his face, holding him. Then, the deja vu feeling came back, and he started to see images in his mind. He remembered lips on his own, how temptation took over. How he had lost his mind for that split second, costing him everything that he had believed in, and he then found himself defying... _Oh, Sakura!_ he realized. _Oh, my God, Sakura..._ Closing his eyes, he felt himself giving in to the pain, not wanting to even think about what he had just discovered. _I'm so sorry... I can't believe it. I'm so very sorry.._. And he passed out, Tomoyo's hands still on his face as he vaguely felt her lips brush against his for the slightest second.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 15 - Shadow World_  
  
Sakura raised an eyebrow when she saw the clothing that they gave her, which she was currently wearing since she had nothing else. Sighing, she closed her eyes, and drew a blanket over her shoulders in the room they had provided her with. Currently, she was sitting on the bed, which was just a soft mattress on the ground. Around her, the room was set alight with torches all around. The room was also decorated with shields and images painted onto the walls.  
  
Sakura was wearing a long, sleek dress of ebony color. Even though it was sleek, the dress was of a solid fabric, so not much was shown. Her sleeves were layered about four or five times, outlined in a white strand of cloth each time. The neckline was made of a long collar, and covered half of her throat. Tiny beads were sewed in, a line of them wavering from the collar down to her chest. The dress flowed down, touching the ground as it curls out. Sakura shifted around a bit, frowning as she drew the sheet closer to herself, feeling it wrap around her contently.  
  
The bath had been comforting, but it still did not cleanse nor fill her of the dark hole in her heart. She clenched her hands onto the blanket, wishing that this warmth would expand to her inside, when a thought came to her mind. _Why am I not escaping right now? The women don't really seem to mind, and they haven't told me what I'm supposed to do while I'm here. I'm sure that I can slip through them or something, and then just search for an exit._  
  
Slowly, she got up, left the blanket by the bed, and put on a pair of shoes that they provided as well. She silently then walked out of the room. The next cave opening next to hers was filled with laughter and chatter of women, who were probably the ones who had tended to her. Sakura, deciding that it might to be too risky, walked the opposite way to that cave, listening to see if anybody was coming as she crept along the torch-lit halls.  
  
Holding her clenched hand to her chest, Sakura found herself at a fork in the passageways. First turning to her right, she stopped a few seconds later. Taking a few steps to the left, Sakura stopped once more, biting her lip while she agonized over which direction to go to. Shaking her head, Sakura felt herself slump a bit when she couldn't decide on which direction to choose. Closing her eyes, Sakura just then ran off on the right, trying her best to not turn back and try to choose the left way.  
  
Suddenly, Sakura felt an arm wrap around her waist, pulling to the sides of the rocky walls. The person then covered her mouth with his second hand, causing her to go into a bit of a frenzy. She clawed at the person's arm, to hear him hiss into her ear. "Stop that, lady! Stop that this instance!" With those words, the person let her go, and Sakura swerved around to find herself face-to-face with Haeli. Sakura's face instantly changed to a bright red color as she backed up away from the female just a few years older than her, ashamed of herself.  
  
"What were you planning to do?" Haeli demanded, anger rising up in her face. "Do you know what would happen if somebody else, for instance, a soldier, caught you instead of I?! You would have lost your life, or even worse, if such a thing occurred! There is no way out of these caves without the knowledge of the layout, lady. Those who try to escape end up dying because they get lost."  
  
"I... I need to find Eriol," she insisted. "Even if he is..." she tried to swallow a lump inside of her throat, and forced the words out of her mouth. "Even if he is dead, I want to find him. I can't just leave him there... I can't..."  
  
Sighing, Haeli shook her head, a bit of anger gone from her eyes. She grasped a hold on Sakura's arm as a comforting move, and watched as the girl broke down in front of her. Sakura fell to the ground, hugging her knees as she let her tears loose once more. It had been less than a day since she was brought her, and she wanted nothing more than to see Eriol again. "I am sorry, lady," Haeli said apologetically, kneeling down next to her. "I cannot bring you anywhere until Lord Vequal sees you. We do not know what he wishes to do with you, only that you must go. After that, and if everything is all right, then maybe I can bring you back to find him, yes..."  
  
Looking at Haeli, Sakura mumbled through her tears, "And when will that be?"  
  
"No less than a few days, probably," Haeli admitted. Seeing the hope drain from her eyes once more, Haeli moved in and gave her an affectionate hug. "There is nothing more you can do, lady. I understand how hard it must be for you, how much you have lost. In a way, you probably do not perceive just _how _much you have lost."  
  
"How can you be so kind to me, when you hardly know me at all?" Sakura asked her, holding onto Haeli as if she were a lifeline. "You met me probably just a few hours ago, and here you are, treating me as if I am an important friend of yours."  
  
Stroking her hair, the female smiled. "I have been acknowledged of being too kind, so others say, easily believing that everyone is good when I first meet them. You are fortunate to have caught me on a good side. Now come. We must clean up your face once more. It would do you no good to be seen in such a manner." Wiping a tear off of Sakura's face, Haeli advised, "One must be noble, or look as if one is. To show weakness is dangerous in front of Lord Vequal. So you must act untouched by his actions, and show him that it did not bring you down. Be strong."  
  
"Can't I just be dead instead?" Sakura whimpered, though she let Haeli pull her up to her feet.  
  
"Good heavens, no!" Haeli laughed. "If you do that, then all hope will truly be lost. Keep your head up high, lady. It proves to be a useful factor in times of darkness. Losing it most definitely does no good at all. Now, truthfully, you must come with me to be cleansed once more. I cannot have you stall any longer. If I do not fix you up in time, Lord Vequal will not be pleased one bit. And though I am extremely and admittedly fascinated by you, I do not wish to anger my lord any more than he probably already is with how long it is taking."  
  
Biting her lip, Sakura's eyes lowered to the ground, and she followed her new found friend down the halls back to the washing room where she was pushed into when she first got here.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 17 - Shadow World - Realm of the Minds_  
  
_She took in a long, contenting breath, and smirked as she opened her eyes._ Ah... do you feel comfortable? _she asks perkily._ After all, not one gets to sleep as well as you. Or as much as you, really,_ she laughed. Looking around, she fingered a small object in her hands._ I told you that I would be back, you know. And as you can see, I am here. *Chuckle.* How wonderful to see you again, yes. But... _her expression changed to a more serious one._ You are hiding from me again. _Hearing no answer, she shrugged._ Okay then. I can wait. Waiting is fun. Let us see how long you will be able to last when the world you have entered right now is not one of something that you understand so very well.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 22 - Shadow World_  
  
Looking around, Sakura agonized over the fact that she had no done anything in a week. She sat and slept in this room, waiting for something to happen. ANYTHING to happen. She yearned to go back to the desert and look for Eriol, considering how there was nothing to do here. She itched to get out. Besides, that Lord Vequal dude had not even come to see her at all for these past days. She highly doubted that he would at all.  
  
Sakura had attempted a few more times to escape. But each and every time, one of the women who tends to her would find her, and bring her back, scolding her that it was dangerous to wander off. Rolling her eyes, Sakura nodded her head, even though she knew about it and all.  
  
Closing her eyes, Sakura grabbed a hold of the necklace wrapped around her throat. _This is the last thing that Eriol ever fixed for me. He put it back together, and helped me put it back on... Oh, Eriol. I miss you..._ She curled up into a ball, and held onto her knees as she felt the pain coming back into her. Suddenly, peering out of the room, she saw Haeli pass by, and got up. Running to her, Sakura shouted, "Haeli! Haeli! Wait up!"  
  
The female turned around, staring at her. "Oh, lady. What is the matter?"  
  
Getting to Haeli, Sakura clutched her sleeves, the pained expression still on her face. "Please, Haeli. _Please _take me back to where my friend was shot. Please! Lord Vequal isn't even doing anything. I probably won't have to even SEE him for a while. Just... Just please!!!" Sakura cried, tears starting to come back to her once more as she fell to her knees, begging the girl. "Please bring me there! I can't take it anymore."  
  
Kneeling down, Haeli took Sakura's face into her hands. She gave a short smile for Sakura, and nodded her head. "Come," she whispered, taking Sakura's hands and pulling her up. "If we leave now and make it back by a few hours, nobody should see the difference." With those words, Haeli took Sakura down a different hall. Closing her eyes, Sakura mumbled a small thanks to Haeli, finally glad that she would be searching for Eriol.  
  
_ But it has been a WEEK. How can I expect him to be there by now? I should have gone the day that I left his side. That way... I'd at least have a much better chance of... Oh, no. I can't think like that right now. If I find him, and he's... At least I'll find him again even so. At least..._  
  
She clenched her hand to her chest, not knowing what she could do when she would find him anyway. Minutes later, Sakura found herself walking towards an opening of the caves, with sunlight beaming in through. Her eyes widening, Sakura saw Haeli gesture to a horse, telling her to ride it. Getting on, Haeli then handed her a large cloak.  
  
"It is an invisibility cloak. It will do well in case we get into trouble. I will lead the way, and you shall follow. But beware, lady, for if they discover you doing this, you will be in deep distress, and I do not know how I will be able to get you out of it. So understand as we are doing this right now, I am also risking my own life to help you."  
  
Then, the two of them rode off into the desert, with the burning sun over their heads. Even though this kind of a climate was practically cooking Sakura's skin to a crispy red, she had never felt better in her entire life. Being away from the caves gave her a sense of relief, and she felt as if nothing could give her this moment ever again.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


_  
Day 18 - Shadow World - Realm of the Minds  
  
She sat there, waiting. She felt him all around her, hiding, watching her, waiting for the perfect moment to escape her. But she would not let him do so. The minute that he appears, she would catch him, and take from him what she wanted all this time. Now that she was back in, she was NOT going to let him escape her grasp at all. Suddenly, Dtarna heard a question in his mind. A question that has bothered him ever since she had caught him into her hands. Smirking she looked around._  
  
You wish to know what a Name is, do you not? _she realized._ Well, I suppose I can tell you know. There is no point in keeping it from you anymore, anyway. _Clearing her thoughts, she closed her eyes, and started the explanation which he had sought for days. She laughed, thinking about the way he would react when he soon heard the entire thing.  
_  
A Name is something that all who lives in the Shadow World knows about, she started. It is a name that defines one's soul, and is the most important part of all that exists. A tree has a Name. A rock. An animal. _She then grinned. _And, most importantly, a person. For people-wise, a Name can only be given to those who it belongs to. In a way, it if one discovers another's Name, that tells the two that they are, well, soul mates. They belong to one another.  
  
But, _she continued,_ If a Name is discovered, then the person who discovers it can use it, or give it back to the one that they gain it from. If the person decides to keep the Name, then they keep the other person forever. And that... _Dtarna takes a finger, and runs it on the floor, tracing images on the misty ground._ That is what I wish to do. You shall belong to me, little wolf. I shall find your Name, and I will never give it back. For when one is owned by another by their Name, then all of them belongs to the owner.  
  
_ She gets up, and smiles when she feels a cold draft coming in. He was getting scared. Nervous. He will break soon enough. _And that, my dear, _she whispered her final words, _is what a Name is.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 22 - Shadow World_  
  
Sakura narrows her eyes, squinting as she tries to see where Haeli was taking her. Finally, she saw the horse in front of her coming to a stop, and Sakura pulled on the reins of her own steed. Halting, she jumped off, and ran up to Haeli. Seeing her nod her head, Sakura ran off, back to where she remembered the incident happened. But even before she got there, Sakura already saw that Eriol's body was nowhere to be seen. In a way, she was comforted by this thought, hoping that he had walked off looking for help. But another part of her was tortured of the thought if maybe a savage animal might have... NO!  
  
She dug calmly at first on the ground, thinking happy thoughts, maybe finding him just sleeping there, all healed and everything. This thought reassured her for at the most five minutes, before it died away quickly. Then, desperation started to go through her, and she got up, looking at the hot environment that surrounded her all over. He was not walking around, she knew. He was not walking around her at all. He wouldn't surprise her, telling her that it was just a silly joke to scare her.  
  
Staring around frantically, Sakura fell to the ground once more, and started to dig through the sand with a madness in her, making small crying sounds as she did. She soon obsessed over just scraping the sand away, thinking that if she did, she would find him, and that thought stuck to her. "Eriol. Eriol. Eriol..." she moaned, feeling the sand get stuck in her nails.  
  
Sakura soon felt a hand on her shoulder, but she ignored it, and continued digging in the sand. A few minutes later, the hand started to shake her, telling her that it was all over. Sakura wanted to push Haeli away, but couldn't. Instead, she let out a choking sob, and slammed her fists onto the sand. "Damn you!" she cried, her lips dry and her voice hoarse from not drinking anything liquid. "Damn you, damn you, damn you..." _Where ARE you?! Where in the world did you go, Eriol?!_  
  
"Lady..." Haeli whispered softly, urging her to get back up. "We must leave. It is time for us to get back, before anybody suspects that we might have left the caves to come out here to search for your beloved. Come, lady. We must be off."  
  
Unconsciously, Sakura somehow got back on the horse, and she felt herself ride off, away from where Eriol's body should have been. She stared ahead, watching as the endless land of yellow sand continued to fill her sight. Turning her head slightly, Sakura watched as she slowly passed a slithering snake. She closed her eyes, and found that the darkness did not comfort her at all, so she opened her eyes back to the bright light instead.  
  
"Lady..." Haeli started, staring at her. This time, instead of riding ahead, Haeli was side by side with her, watching her as she continued to not speak a word. "I am sorry, lady. Since he is not there, then might he have walked off..."  
  
"We go back tomorrow," Sakura finally whispered, her throat a bit sore. She heard Haeli about to protest to that statement, and interrupted her before she could. "I have waited long enough, and I do not want to wait any longer. Because I didn't try to do a single thing in over a week, Eriol's body isn't even there anymore. If I had went a day after I was separated from he, he might've still been there. So now, I am going to go back, and I will go back until I find him again. If he is gone, then maybe he _did _walk off to somewhere else. We are going to come back, and search for him. I am _not _going to let a friend of mine just wander out here and die. And if his body _is _lying around here somewhere, then I am going to find it. And after I do," she turns to look at Haeli, and said one more statement before she rode off to leave Haeli behind, not caring if she was going the wrong way or not. "After I do find his supposedly dead body, I am going to rip your lord apart."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Nooooo! Eriol's not there. *grins in a silly way* Um... review? I'll... try to come out w/ the next chapter faster._


	12. The Saviors

_ Wow!! Chapter twelve. This story is actually pretty long... Well, we're getting there!! The story is more than halfway done.  
  
Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me.  
  
Kimmy: Hee!! ^^ So we've at least contacted each other before. I'm glad you think I'm weird. If I'm writing about this couple, then I probably am... WHO CARES I LOVE IT!!!  
  
Elizabeth: ^^ Coolies. I'm sure once a month IS good, actually. Better than those talented writers who updated once in half a year... -___-... no fun.  
  
Kaji Hikage: Yesh! I updated!!! Tiz dark??? Did not realize this story was dark... *grins*  
  
Starlight Princess: Eriol... umm... etooo..... ^^ Hi! LUV YOU! *runs off*  
  
RuByMoOn: Updated! *peace sign!*  
  
Moon Smurf: *sticks tongue out* LUVS YOU, TOO!!! BWAHAHAHAHAAA!! *runs off again*  
  
Jared: *smiles* Story plot is kinda complicated, isn't it? It takes so long for just a FEW answers to be given... But that's the amusing part!! Thanks for reviewing again!! T_T You are, like, my traditional reviewer... SO COOL!!  
  
CherryBlossom576: Eriol... umm... yeah! Updated!!!_  
  
**Chapter Twelve: The Saviors**  
  
_Day 19 - Shadow World - Realm of the Minds_  
  
_Frowning, she closed her eyes, and shifted forms back to Tomoyo. Already, she sensed him raising up his defenses, trying to block her out away from his feelings. _Do you remember this girl? _she mused to him silently. _She is a pretty one, is she not? So filled with laughter all the time. Just like your girlfriend. _She then tilted her head to one side, as if she was in deep thought. _But then again, she isn't your girlfriend, is she?  
  
_Hearing no answer, Dtarna scowled, and regained her actual form once more. Getting up, she narrowed her eyes, turning around, as if thinking that he might just right be behind her. _You are starting to anger me now. One such as you cannot hold out against me, and you know it! Why hide from the unavoidable?!  
  
_Silence.  
  
Dtarna saw that he was not going to give in, and furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. _Fine, _she decides aloud. Holding a hand out, Dtarna quickly forms a dark, crackling ball of floating energy. She closed her eyes, her own energy seeping out, touching walls, doors, mental places in search of the one she was looking for._  
  
_Suddenly, she stopped, as if someone had clicked onto a 'pause' button. Her eyes were wide, a shocked look upon her face. One hand was held out, the weapon of energy still sparkling darkly of magic. The other was reaching out, as if she wanted to gently touch something right in front of her. Her own energy had stopped as well. All this appeared in this eternity of a second._  
  
_The next, her energy zoomed in to return to her as she pulled her hand back to covered herself with her arms and recoiled when the ball of magic burst. She covered her face as the energy expanded and attacked at all directions, going out of control. Dtarna could hear the power of destruction it gave, though her eyes were tightly closed shut. Unexpectedly, she found herself flying back, pain crying throughout her entire current entity. Touching the misty ground, she scraped along, giving a jerk of a sound with each moment that passed until she gradually came to a stop._  
  
_Dtarna stayed on the floor, gasping for breath. Clenching her hand into a fist, she slowly struggled to stand up, but ended up just sitting on the foggy ground. She held her right hand to her left arm, still feeling the unforgiving pain going through her. Even though this was not of a physical domain, a trickle of blood was making it way down the side of her mouth, slowly going down to her chin. Narrowing her eyes, she stared around, and found that she was already leaving this realm._  
  
Someone... _she realized, when she slowly reached out once more, and found him to be gone. _Someone... _interfered _with my works. _Dtarna narrowed her eyes, then closed them, willing her substantial self to wake now. But before she left, she vowed a sentence to herself. _That person shall pay with blood.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 25 - Shadow World_  
  
"I've had ENOUGH!" Sakura shrieked as she threw the pillow onto the hard ground. When it just made a small 'puff!' sound, Sakura felt that it just didn't help her take her anger out. Right after she had returned from the painstaking ride to the desert, Sakura glumly walked back to her quarters. But just as she entered, Haeli had cast a barrier by the entrance, and left it as thus.  
  
Sakura threw herself at the entrance, only to hit something that felt pretty much like an invisible wall. She groaned, and then narrowed her eyes, remembering what Haeli had told her. _"If you wish to destroy Lord Vequal, then I must do as a devoted servant would, and stop you. I am sorry, lady, but I cannot permit you to harm to the lord. Forgive me."_  
  
Biting her lip, Sakura paced around the room. "Maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh. I must've scared her away," she realized dejectedly. "It's not as if I wanted to... Oh, what am I going to do?! Syaoran... Where is he? In Lyrra, I know that. But Eriol... Oh! I can't worry about two people at the same time! Or Yue, and Tomoyo, Cerberus. All of them. Knowing them, they must have been trying to find a way to get here. I wonder how they did..."  
  
Sakura narrowed her eyes at the unseen barrier. Giving another shout, she kicked at it, and punched it. Looking around, Sakura found a chair. She ran to pick it up, and threw it at the barrier, only to hear a loud crashing noise. Sakura grumbled in defeat as she angrily sat down on the bed, crossing her arms over her chest. She turned to face the barrier, and pursed her lips. _Haeli could not have such a strong magic power... She couldn't have sealed me in so easily, right?_  
  
Frowning, Sakura closed her eyes, though she was not tired. She was still persistent, and knew that she had must find a way to get out of these caves. She would worry about the path to the exit later. Currently, the problem was getting out of the room. Sakura rolled her eyes, and then continued to gaze at the blockade.  
  
Suddenly, something flickered in front of her eyes. Confused, Sakura walked up to the barrier, and bent down. There was a weird sparkle which she had saw before, just about a foot above the ground, all the way on the left portion of the barrier. She stared at the spot, only to see nothing there. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, and turned to inspect the other parts of the barrier. But just as she had turned away, Sakura could have sworn it flickered again, just out of the corner of her eye.  
  
Moving back to her previous position, Sakura stared straight at it, getting as close as she could. She bit her lip once more, and moved her fingers lightly over the barrier. Coming up with a theory, Sakura moved her eyes away from the spot, to see it flicker once more. _Ahh... So when a person looks directly at this spot, it doesn't sparkle or glitter or flicker or does whatever it does with light. But... what does that mean, really?_  
  
Sakura crouched there, and wondered about it for as long as she could remember. Not having a clue about twenty minutes later, Sakura kicked the spot, frustrated. She was about to kick it again, when Sakura stumbled as her foot landed on nothing, and she fell forward. Blinking, Sakura regained her posture and stared around.  
  
She was out of her confined room.  
  
Sakura turned to look back, then to the front. Grinning, she gave a triumphant, though quiet, cheer and quickly chose a tunnel to go through. _What luck!_  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 21 - Shadow World_  
  
Syaoran gasped as he jerked up, his eyes widening. He swerved his head about, wondering where he was. Wincing, Syaoran rubbed his back. The beds around this world weren't exactly comfortable, being as hard as a rock. He then heard the flapping of a cloth, and saw a woman enter through an entrance. She had a bleak look on her face, one face that Syaoran could not help but to recognize.  
  
"YOU!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at her as he got up from the bed as hastily as he could, feeling a sense of revulsion. "What in the world am I doing _here_?!" It was the first person that he saw when he first got to the Shadow World, the one who visit him in his prison, and brought him to the sites to work as a slave. Syaoran's anger clouded his mind, for he could not even see the guilt on her face when she looked at him. Instead, he glared at her furiously and stubbornly.  
  
"Please," she pleaded, trying to walk up to him. "Listen to me before you-"  
  
Syaoran evaded her, backing up, though he could probably battle against her and win. "Oh, yes," Syaoran said in a light voice, though falseness was dripping with each word that came out of his mouth. "Of _course _I would want to listen to you. Why, after the way you treated me when I first woke up, and how you were probably the one who brought me here. WHY WOULD I- AHHHH!!!" Syaoran clutched his head in pain when a jolt ran through his mind.  
  
"Please be careful!" she cried worriedly, running up to the aggrieved boy. "You have slept for two days or so, but the affects of the Solitary and Master Dtarna has not worn off yet. You must sit down. Come... Come back to the bed," and she gently led him with as much care as she could undertake.  
  
Taking in a staggering breath, Syaoran stared at her, her fiery red hair tied behind her back. She had wrapped him in a blanket, watching him closely. Now, trying his best to clear his mind, he could vaguely see the worry in her eyes. "Why are you doing this?" Syaoran whispered.  
  
She smiled at him, as if she were expecting, as well as hoping, for him to ask this question. "It is because..." she started, and turned to fully look at him. "It is because..."  
  
"Because?" Syaoran asked when she started to drag that word a bit.  
  
"Because you have caught my husband's eye."  
  
"Your... husband..." Syaoran whispered, a confused look on his face. Who did he know _here_?! Other than Tgaeh, his brother, and a few soldiers, and so forth, there weren't really anybody else that he knew. And none of them for sure did not have a wife of any sort. "Are you sure, lady?!"  
  
She nodded. "I am quite sure. In fact, he is coming in right now." The woman then got up, and left Syaoran's side to someone who was entering through the door. Syaoran looked up. He certainly did not want to miss _this_.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 25 - Shadow World_  
  
Sakura ran through the tunnels, never relenting as she just instinctively turned whichever way she felt like going whenever she reached a fork. She grinned wildly, her eyes shining in this sense of freedom. _When I have kids, I am NEVER locking them up in their rooms!_ she vowed to herself. _And now... where to go. I need to find a way to get out of here-_  
  
Unexpectedly, someone stepped in front of Sakura as she was going to swerve to the right. Haeli. "Lady. It is time for you to return to your quarters immediately," she said in a stoic voice. Sakura frowned, still trying to get over her surprise and shock at seeing this unforeseen obstacle. She had just hoped to keep running until she saw an opening of some sort. Maybe a window or some kind of stable where the horses stayed. At least those places lead to the outside world.  
  
"I can't," Sakura whispered. "I need to leave this place, Haeli..."  
  
"You cannot get past me. To allow you to get past me is to break my vow of duty to the lord. And after your... certain outburst, I truly cannot let you wander the tunnels in such a state. Get back to your quarters immediately."  
  
She shook her head once more, gripping her sleeves tightly for control. "You don't understand! I really have to get out of here, Haeli. Each day I don't do anything is a day wasted. I've accepted the fact that my friend is dead, okay. Now, I just want to move on and find the one that I was searching for before. Please, Haeli. Don't make me stay here any longer..."  
  
"I can no longer go against my lord. You have shown that you are a threat by the words you said before. I would be a fool to trust you--!!" Suddenly, she gasped as large piece of cloth was thrown in her face.  
  
Quickly, Sakura jumped up into the air, and flipped past Haeli. She then took a left turn, and continued to run, not caring where she was going as long as she lost the woman behind her. _That will not hold her back for long. Considering how that Lord Vequal let her come along to when Eriol and I were... attacked. Yep. That won't hold her back for long at all._ And already, Sakura could hear the running footsteps behind her.  
  
Abruptly, she took a left. Then a right. Then another right. Sakura shut her eyes, and desperately tried to gain speed in her race against Haeli. But suddenly, a hard grip grasped onto her arm, and jerked her around. Damn it... she cursed hopelessly to herself as she faced the servant.  
  
"Lady... you are quite an annoyance."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 21 - Shadow World  
_  
"MUSHI?!" Syaoran exclaimed. "What in the _world_--!! Wait. This is your wife???"  
  
The soldier's lips were pursed, showing a very small and tight smile. He nodded his head shortly as he walked into the room and stood in front of them. "The master considers me to be quite a trustworthy bahrrn, and my wife has served her for years. There is no reason she would suspect us of such a felony, now, is there."  
  
Syaoran just continued to stare at him. Then, his mouth opened to ask a question or two. "How long have you two been married? How _old _are you exactly?! And you, too, Mrs. Mushi?"  
  
"Mrs. Bug?" she questioned, staring at him with an eyebrow raised. She then turned to look at her husband, a small smile playing on her lips. "What does he mean, Natir?"  
  
"He was not exactly happy that day when he saw me, Eurena. So he dubbed me 'Bug'."  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell me that you had a wife?!" Syaoran asked, obviously not letting the previous topic go yet.  
  
Natir rolled his eyes, and sat down on the ground with his legs crossed. "You had never asked me before, young Syaoran. There is much that you had never asked me. Eurena has been my wife for over four years now. I am twenty-eight years old, and she is but twenty-five. I hope that is all you need to know of our marriage."  
  
"You look very young, you know that? And, I actually never thought of the marriage prospects here in the Shadow World," he admitted. "Okay. Well, your wife told me how I had 'caught' your eye. Is that true? How?"  
  
"You are a unique man, if you had not known of that yourself. And, well..." For once, the soldier looked quite uncomfortable with what he was speaking of. Even when he spoke of his marriage, there was not any nervous reaction.  
  
"Natir believes that the slaves should be freed of their chains," Eurena helped put in. "He may have a high position, but he sympathizes with those beneath his class level. Natir is a kind and generous man, and I am quite grateful that I married him." She leaned down, and then took his hand into hers. "Quite grateful indeed, considering the other bahrrns, you know."  
  
Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Okay. That's nice. I suppose that I can leave now, right-"  
  
"No," Eurena replied quickly. "Actually, you can't. You see it, is time for us to explain to you about what has been happening all this while. You deserve to know, Natir believes, so I shall help. After all, I was a part of this for quite a while already, whether it be against my will or not."  
  
"You... yes. You were the one who woke me up so happily on the first day I got here," Syaoran said wryly.  
  
"I wanted to accept what the master desires, so I had to be cruel. I apologize now, and hope that one day you will be able to forgive me. I... I've done you a great wrong, I have."  
  
"Yeah, well, you two got me out of the Solitary. So I think you've repaid everything you did."  
  
"She will find out soon enough," Natir told him. "She always knew too much, the master. That's what made her so powerful in the first place. She forced Eurena to put you in the fields, the sites. I suppose that she had always wish that you would break down bad enough that you will give in to her, and take her offer of being able to live by her side."  
  
Syaoran snorted. "I guess that I was a bigger surprise than that, right? But tell me," he said, his expression turning serious, "about what happened to me back on Earth, back with Sakura... That night... I don't remember anything at all."  
  
"You're not supposed to," Eurena whispered. "She took the form of another to weaken your guard. That other form was someone you considered close to you. I had been on Earth for quite a while, watching you. Spying and reporting back to the master, for she had chosen you. Why, I truly did not know. Then, I heard that she tried to seek out your Name-"  
  
"Name?!" Syaoran's eyes widened at those words. "Oh, God... Now I remember. The Name. The so-called Name and stuff..." He looked up at the two of them. "So... are you bound together by this Name or what?"  
  
"We are not," Natir told him. "We are wedded, and we are content. That is all we need."  
  
"But the master," Eurena continued. "She... She really wanted to discover your Name. It was an obsession. She had me watch you for years. But she soon got tired and impatient, and forced me to bring you here. I took an image of the girl with almost raven-like hair. Then, I spelled you, and crossed the rift back here, to the Shadow World."  
  
"But... So... what about Sakura?" he asked. "I just have such a bad feeling about this, you know."  
  
Eurena shut her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "It is as I said before: I beg you of your forgiveness. I knew of... your meeting with her that night, with your love. So I got there before. She does not remember the image of the female well, but she remembered what we did. She saw us kiss, make out, I suppose, and ran off. The master made me--_forced _me--to have her rid her feelings of you. I doubt that it worked, but I had to bring you here anyway... I'm sorry... So sorry..."  
  
Sitting there, Syaoran's eyes widened as he stared at her. She had turned her face away in shame, not wanting to see what he would say to her. "So Sakura... I left Earth with her in that kind of pain..." He then took out his necklace and stared at it for a while before he opened it. "I... I can't believe this... She's probably not even looking for-"  
  
"She is, though," Eurena told him, causing him more shock. "The master has sent forces to try to stop her from getting here, but I do not know how that is faring. She is here to search for you. For what reasons, and how she is, I do not know. But... she is here, you can be sure of that, and she has gotten closer with each day. For some reason, though, this past week or so, I have not been told on what has happened to her."  
  
"Sakura..." Syaoran whispered, closing his eyes. _Sakura... I'm so sorry... So very sorry..._ And he felt his first tear streak down his cheek, ignoring the two people around him.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 25 - Shadow World_  
  
Sakura winced as Haeli's grip tightened even more. "How _dare _you try to escape again! What an idiotic girl you are, lady. Come back, before the lord discovers that you have escaped."  
  
Quickly, she tried to wrench Haeli's grip off of her arm, struggling. "I... I..." she managed to say as she resisted. She shut her eyes tightly as she pulled some more. "Let me go! Let me go!"  
  
"I cannot! Have you thought about what would happen to you if somebody else found you instead of me? Take, for instance, one of Lord Vequal's soldiers or close comrades discovers you instead. You are a virgin, are you not?" Sakura blushed at that question. "You would not stay one for long if one of those men found you. If one of the women find you, then you will be discovered even more quickly, for they have loud voices. Now hurry and return to your chamber! Never mind. I will drag you-"  
  
"Oh, stop it Haeli," a new voice entered, chuckling in amusement.  
  
Sakura stared at Haeli's face as it drained of color to an unusual shade of pale. As quick as she could, Haeli released Sakura's grasp and turned around to kneel down on one knee, her head bent. "L-Lord Vequal!" she acknowledged.  
  
Looking up, Sakura gulped as she backed up a bit. It was the same man as before, the one who had caused Eriol to... be gone. To be away from her right at this instant. And he would never come back. As Sakura realized that thought in her mind, she did not notice how Haeli had gotten up, and was talking to a smiling Lord Vequal.  
  
"Please, Lord Vequal. Just let me take her back to her chambers. I will make the barrier every stronger--_thrice _stronger than before! I will make sure she cannot even touch it! So we will be off on our wa-"  
  
"Oh, no need for that, Haeli. Just leave us as I discuss this entire situation with the girl," he told her. "You can tend to matters of your own, now." When she would not move, Vequal rolled his eyes. "_Go_, Haeli, and leave us be!"  
  
"Y-Yes, my lord!" she replied hastily, and walked off. Haeli stopped once for about a second and turned to look at Sakura with an apologetic expression on her face. Then, she turned back around, and ran away from the two left behind, as if she were afraid to stay any longer.  
  
Sakura's lips quivered as she looked at the man. Swiftly, she swerved around and started to run off. But then, she felt a hard push on her right shoulder as she scraped the wall slightly. She grimaced as she cried out, clutching her left shoulder in pain. Sakura looked up once more, this time to find him standing right in front of her.  
  
Backing up, Sakura found herself already touching the wall. "W... What are you going to do?" she whispered.  
  
He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "You're pretty thick in the head if you cannot figure it out," he laughed.  
  
"B-b-but! But what about Dtarna?!" she cried. "I thought you loved her or something!" _At least, that's what I heard from everybody else... right? He-he-he can't do this to me!_  
  
"Aye, love her. But not enough that I can wait forever for a woman to be in my arms. You will have to do, I suppose."  
  
Not knowing how to rid herself of him, Sakura brought her hand up in a fist, ready to strike. But seconds before it made contact, Vequal blocked, squeezing her hand until she released her fist. Sakura cringed, gasping as she tried to make him let go. "You actually believe that I will let you hit me again?! Do not even believe for a second that you will get another chance at that, wench," he sneered while his second hand moved to cup her chin.  
  
"Let go of me!" she cried, squirming at his touch. Sakura found herself on the verge of crying when she couldn't loosen his grasp on her at all. When his hand moved down to stroke her neck, she moved back as far as she could. Then left or right, just as far away from his hand as possible. "LET GO!!!" she screamed, then found his hand straight on her mouth.  
  
"If you scream again," he whispered fiercely, "I'm going to make this last as long as I can!"  
  
Finally, the tears came through, and Sakura shut her eyes as he started to roam his hand over her avoiding body. Though she couldn't shout, she could still try to avoid his touch.  
  
Suddenly, his hand stopped progressing and the hand over her mouth was moving away. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Vequal's eyes were wide as his pupils rolled to show pure white. Sakura grimaced at the look and he unexpectedly fell to the ground. _He... he's fainted..._  
  
Sakura then looked up ahead once more, and found that her view was starting to become blurry. She staggered as she tried to gain control of her legs, unsuccessful as she was. Her hand held her head, feeling exhaustion roll over her. The last thing Sakura caught before she fainted was another person walking up to her.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_ Oh, geez... I WONDER WHO THAT COULD BE~~!! ^^ Tiz fun! Please review again~~~!!! Tell me what you think happened to Eriol. ^_- Cheers!_


	13. To Face The Impossible

_Chapter thirteen! Yay!! All right, a nice SMALL sappy part for all you E/S fans. It's coming up, yesh yesh. Just small, and short, though. As in very small. As in pint-size small. As in so-tiny-maybe-it's-not-even-sap small. Hee! Everybody missed Eriol. Aww... poor everybody. ^_-  
  
Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me.  
  
spy*chick08: I hate cliffies, too!! *readers glare b/c know that Drkdemon does a lot of them* Eh heh... ^^U Yeah...  
  
Moon Smurf: *laughs* That was a looonnnnnggg sentence. D'ya know it was run-on, too?? *Grins* COME BACK NOW AND READ MY CHAPTER!! *drags Moon Smurf back from Bahamas and demands her to sit down in front of computer to read* After all, you wanted this to happen, ne? *glomps Moon Smurf* LOVES YOU!  
  
Elle-poohbear: You'll find out. Chapter is now out!  
  
RuByMoOn: Me love E/S... I'll put more up, yesh!  
  
Starlight Princess: It's out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out... my hand is tired. :-P  
  
Aore: One month is short time! *sticks tongue out* Hehe. Compared to all my fav. authors who update once a year... *weeps* Well, hope you enjoy this chapter!  
  
Vondooby: Actually, I never heard of that. I had this idea about the Name in my head ever since I first started this fanfic, which was a year ago, yesh. It happened in a movie??? Everything that happens in this fanfic, the story plot and going to another world and all that stuff, I made up myself. Me so proud of my imagination!! *grins* No... well, what is the movie???  
  
Kimmy and Elizabeth: Yay!! I continued it. ^^_  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
**Chapter Thirteen: To Face the Impossible**  
  
_Day 26 - Shadow World_  
  
Syaoran sat in Eurena and Natir's room, impatient just as he was five days ago when they told him to stay there.  
  
_ "Why can't you use your magic like before?" Syaoran had asked her, remembering that painful moment.  
  
"That was a loan from the master. I have none of my own. She will come and try to find you. We can hide you for as long as we can. I will keep you and Eurena informed of how the search is running. If needed, I will find that man you were with before and have him take you to another place to hide. You might have to keep running until she has decided to give up."_  
  
And how long would that take? By the sounds of it, Syaoran might have to keep running until he can run back to Earth, and away from the Shadow World. And then where would he go? _Sakura... Sakura... Sakura..._ he whispered in his mind. And what about her, too? She was never going to forgive him. But she's come searching for me. _Why, Sakura? Why not send somebody else? Why come by yourself, when I've hurt you like how I did..._  
  
He gently reached for the necklace once more, and stared at it with sad eyes of grief. "She doesn't remember, but if she could, she would have known that it was... it was an image of Tomoyo kissing me. I don't even remember doing that. I don't remember ever even _dreaming _of kissing Tomoyo. She's just too..." _Nice and sweet, I suppose. She had always been a good friend._  
  
_But I guess that I can understand why back in the Solitary, why the person took the image of Tomoyo. It was a way to mock the freak out of me._ Then, his thoughts moved back to his current situation. _Mushi--I mean, Natir--told us that their search is bringing them closer and closer to this household. That means... That means that I will be meeting up with Tgaeh soon, and he's going to help me make a run for it._  
  
_I could try to defeat them, but even I know that it's a foolish move to try to defeat so many soldiers at once. I won't have a chance at all._ And just as that thought ended, Eurena burst in through the door.  
  
"They are coming!" she informed him. "Get up! I will take you to your friend since he could not come here. Then, we will figure out the next step from there." Syaoran stared at her, dumfounded. "Yes," she continued. "In other words, we still have no plan."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 29 - Shadow World_  
  
_ "... Yes. Yes, thank you..." Sakura vaguely heard. She groaned as she turned over, uncomfortable. "Oh! Oh, she is regaining her consciousness." Then a shuffle of feet and a second voice, protesting._  
  
She couldn't really remember much, or hear much. But she did take notice of a cool hand on her forehead, and that calmed her down slightly. Though it showed nothing with its gesture, she could feel the power of protection emitting clearly. That sort of emotion flowed into her, and Sakura felt herself warm up to the feeling. "Shh... Hush, Sakura," the voice said, soothing her. "Shh... Just go back to sleep, dear friend." He was about to take his hand away, when Sakura gave a small cry of protest, wanting to reach up and hold onto that comforting hand. Its gentleness was taken away from her, its refreshing touch departed. She needed it again, and she demanded for that hand to come back. Finally, her whimpering was heard, and the hand returned to hold onto her own.  
  
Sighing, Sakura smiled softly, and stopped shifting around once more. "I'm here, Sakura... I'm here..." she heard, and the voice appeased her as well. This kind of well-being she had never had before; she welcomed and cherished it.  
  
Sakura went back to sleep. But woke up probably a few hours later. She slowly opened her eyes, and moved a hand to touch her forehead. But she found it still clenched in another's. Finally, Sakura moved her head and her eyes widened at the person sitting in a chair next to her, his eyes closed.  
  
There he was, hair a bit disheveled, but that mattered not. He was also wearing his glasses. Sakura almost wondered if he were dead or not, but then realized that he must be sleeping. She didn't give a damn. He was here. Giving a short weep of happiness, Sakura quickly let go of his hand and moved forward to give him a hug. "ERIOL!!!" she cried.  
  
His eyes shot open, wondering what kind of danger he was in. "W-w-what?!" he asked in a breathless voice. Then, he saw the arms around his waist and the head on his chest. "Oh..." he whispered, smiling softly as he gently stroked her hair. "It seems that you have awaken, Sakura."  
  
"You're alive..." she laughed, voice a bit hoarse. "I can't believe it. I looked... I tried so hard... I was so scared. But you're here. You're here. You're here. You're here..."  
  
"Okay. Okay. I'm here, Sakura. I'm here. Now loosen that tight hug on me or I really _will _die!"  
  
Frowning, she backed up, shaking violently. "How... how..." she whispered in a deadly quiet voice. "How... DARE YOU EVEN JOKE ABOUT THAT! Do you think that I was happy believing that you were _really _gone?! I went back that stupid place in the desert and searched for you, only to find that you were gone! The shock I went through was... was... Oh!!" She then drew her knees up and curled into a ball, her face buried into her arms as she felt the waterworks start.  
  
Eriol quickly tried to pat her back, stroke her hair, flabbergasted. He obviously had never been put in such a position before, especially when it came to one where the situation was that the person was crying _because _of him. "Umm... Oh, Sakura! Please stop crying! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I-"  
  
"I'm just so happy that you're alive!" she sobbed, still not looking at him. But then, two hands forced her face up, red-eyed and everything. She sniffed as she stared at her friend, believing it had been an eternity the last time she did see him. Eriol had a pair of regular clothes on, probably from the pack that he still had with him, for they had no holes or anything from where he had been struck and wounded.  
  
"But are you well, too?" he whispered, his eyes filled with concern. "When... When I heard you, I rushed as quickly as I could to you. I found that... that... bastard trying to... I attacked him as soon my head had cleared and carried you away from that horrible place. You slept for four days, worrying the hell out of me as well, you know that?"  
  
"But..." she whispered, gazing at him. "But... how are you... how can you be... here?"  
  
"I can answer that," another voice came in.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 26 - Shadow World_  
  
Syaoran was gasping for his breath when he suddenly heard the cry of soldiers. "Don't... tell me," he said, breathless. "We've been... discovered. Am I right?"  
  
Eurena cringed. "Yes, I do be... believe so. What shall we do now..."  
  
"You leave me alone," Syaoran told her, seeing her eyes widened, as if she were wondering if that was an insult or not. "Get out of here," he explained. "Don't let yourself be discovered, or I won't be able to come to you for help anymore." Then, he managed to give her a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. Though, if you can, try to help me get back my magical items. I'll never win a fight just with fists and kicks against these guys. They'll just gang up on me. Now go!"  
  
Eurena frowned slightly and slowed down, not knowing what to do. Finally, she reluctantly nodded her head, and went towards a different and secluded direction back down to her household. Syaoran turned around, glad that there was no one holding him back as he burst out in his remaining speed, hoping to find a place to hide, even if it was temporary. He was running up a hill with houses on his right and a small bit of forest trees on his left. _Eurena must have gone the way where the trees are,_ he realized.  
  
He heard the many footsteps stomping and rushing up the hill behind him. Quickly, Syaoran darted sharply to his right and ran through the houses, zooming this way and that, hoping to throw them off a bit. He jumped over a few fences, ignoring the curious voices of the little children and the men and women. Syaoran then ducked under a few poles, and soon, the site where all the slaves worked could be seen.  
  
Biting his lip, he turned around, dashing the opposite way to the site. _Too noticeable there. I might as well just dodge here and there for a while until I know they can't find me._ Climbing up a ladder he saw, Syaoran then leaped up to a roof. He went soaring to a few of the closer houses, hoping that he wasn't disturbing anybody. Then, as this entire chase continued, Syaoran smirked. _A pursue in broad daylight. This is amusing me to the max._  
  
He stopped for a short moment, deciding where to go next. Shrugging, Syaoran just continued to jump over each house, hearing the soldiers spread out. He quickly ducked as one of them looked up, almost seeing him. He laughed silently to himself. _They're never going to be able to cat-_  
  
Even before that train of thought could be completed, Syaoran's footing slipped from one of the roofs, and he came tumbling back down to the ground. Groaning, he opened his eyes as he brought a hand up to his head, holding it in pain.  
  
"Well, well, well... Just what do we have here," he heard someone murmured in amusement.  
  
Looking up, Syaoran groaned once more as he got up. It was the head bahrrn soldier.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 29 - Shadow World_  
  
"So I have the right one then, do I not?" Irian smirked as she strolled up to them. "Ironic, really, but not surprising."  
  
"Not surprising at all," Eriol agreed, "considering the condition I was in when you found me."  
  
Kneeling down next to him, she slowly opened his shirt. Curious, Sakura asked what she was doing. "Checking on his wounds, I am," Irian answered distantly. "He definitely had not healed yet from that arrow wound my lord gave him."  
  
Frowning in concern, Sakura looked up into his face. "Eriol... how did Irian find you? How did you get out of it... alive?" She lowered her eyes. "After all, I couldn't even do it. Some friend I am."  
  
"It's not your fault, Sakura," Eriol smiled as he patted her hand. "I guess that I was dying. Seriously dying. I blacked out instantly from the pain and I couldn't protect you from being kidnapped."  
  
"The night you were brought here, I learned from Haeli where they had shot your friend down. So once I had finished cleansing you, feeding you, and so on, I gathered some herbs, medicinal items, took a horse and set forth. I found him about an hour later, still bleeding. It's a miracle that he had not left the world yet! I did as much as I could there, then had to use all my strength to put him on the horse. I walked most of the way, stopping once in a while to treat him again. When I had gotten back, I snuck Sir Eriol into my quarters, and continued tending to his wounds there."  
  
"When did you wake up, then?" Sakura asked Eriol.  
  
"Almost a week later, damn it. By then, I was still pretty dazed, and my body ached like hell. So you've had it pretty easy compared to me," he joked. But when her sad expression did not change, Eriol sighed and shook his head. "What is wrong now, Sakura? Is there something that you still wish to say?" Then, his eyes flashed. "Or... did that lord do anything-"  
  
"Oh, no!" Sakura quickly stated. "No! In fact, when you found me, that was the first time he..." She shuddered, as if just thinking about it caused her anxiety and dread. "No... I was just thinking... Thank you so much, Irian." Sakura turned to look at the girl next to Eriol. "If you hadn't save him... And when I finally could go to search for him, it was about the time when he finally woke up in your quarters. I don't have a clue as to how I could repay y--!! NO! All the stuff I had with me are still back in the cave!" she realized.  
  
"What does it matter?" Irian asked. "All you had with you, really, were torn clothing and such. The bag had nothing important in it, am I right?"  
  
"Yes, but... Oh, you're right. It's nothing... But still. Thank you again. I really grieved for Eriol for the past weeks."  
  
Snorting, Irian shook her head as she got up and leaned in closer to Sakura's friend. "It is not from you that I want gratitude from." She turned to look at Eriol and held his face softly in one hand. "Sir Eriol..."  
  
As if the actions that Irian were taking did not matter at all, Eriol turned to look at her, his face just inches from hers. "Yes?"  
  
"Stay with me," she whispered, her head leaning closer so her lips were just millimeters away now. "Come live with me, and let your friend continue on the journey. We have, after all, gotten her to her destination. Let her do the rest."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. "WHAT?!" she asked. "But-but-but-"  
  
"But nothing, lady," Irian sniffed. "I saved his life and he must repay me by-"  
  
Finally, he spoke up. "I can't," Eriol whispered, pushing her off of him. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Miss Irian. Yet... I cannot stay with you. I have too much to do. Too much that I promised. All I can give you is my thanks."  
  
Irian stared at him for long moments, and it ended after an eternity. Sakura felt like a third wheel, so she embarrassingly duck back into her bed, trying to look as if it was not of any importance to her. Except it was. Eriol's words before meant the world to her, and she couldn't help but shamefully feel delight and happiness when he turned Irian's request down.  
  
"I... I see..." she whispered and stood up straight. "Well then, let me brew something for us to drink, and I will be on my way, Sir Eriol. Of course," she gave a staggering laugh, halting for a moment, "if I could just have your Name, then nothing would not be within my grasps when it comes to you." Irian then turned around, and walked out of the room.  
  
"Wait!" Eriol suddenly yelled. "I'll come with you." He turned to look at Sakura, who's back was towards them. She listened as the sound of his running footsteps gradually disappeared and he closed the door behind him.  
  
When he reached the first floor of the inn, and found her sitting there, stirring up a cup, Eriol quickly and quietly sat down next to her. She then took out two more cups, filling it with bits of leaves and then some hot water. "Do as you wish," she whispered softly, "to her drink. Then, I shall take you back and wait outside for you to complete your desired task."  
  
Digging into his pockets, Eriol fished out a tiny packet wrapped in white paper. Mumbling, he dipped the powdered contents into the water. He tapped his finger on the cup three times, and stopped his soft words afterwards. "Okay then," he finally answered back. "Wait while I give this to her." He took two cups into his hands and stood up.  
  
"I do not see why you try so hard," her voice picked up as she stared at him. "She has a lover already, as she has told me so many times before on just that one night, and you have known for years. What is the point of doing so much for her?"  
  
Smiling, Eriol replied, "because I have something that belongs to her, and I am quite sure that she has something that belongs to me as well. And it is this object, Miss Irian, that binds the both of us together." He walked back up the stairs to Sakura's room, still smiling the mysterious smile.  
  
Irian sat there in shock, her eyes showing surprise and shock. "He... He and... her... They... How did he obtain it?!"  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 29 - Shadow World_  
  
"Here, Sakura," Eriol handed her one of the two cups in his hand as he sat down next to her again. "How d'ya feel?"  
  
"I feel fine," she said as she sat up. She had changed into a low-cut shirt and scarf, and a pair of jeans. Taking a sip, she started to talk, when she felt a hand on her cheek. Sakura looked up, and found Eriol staring down at her sadly.  
  
"You have not slept well in nights."  
  
"No," she admitted. "Not since I thought that you were dead." She then added, "just where are we?"  
  
Eriol stared at her for a moment, and laughed out loud the next. "Oh, haha! That's right. You'll love this, Sakura. It turns out the caves and tunnels lead quite far out. By the exit that Irian, you, and I escaped from, we were just about one and a half hour away from Lyrra. And so..."  
  
"So that's what Irian meant by me being in my destination," she whispered, lowering her eyes. Yawning slightly, she started to gaze at his abdomen, a heartbreaking look on her face. "Does it still hurt a lot, Eriol? Did... did it..."  
  
"It's gotten much better, Sakura. I know you blame yourself a little bit, but it's not your fault." He leaned in close and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I wondered how you were each and every day, you know that? Ever since I woke up and found myself in Irian's care, I had thought about if you were well or not. I knew where you were staying, but I couldn't go find you. And then... Then... Then I heard your voice, so I ran as quickly as I could to get to you. I was so relieved to see that he had not done anything to you."  
  
Sakura beamed timidly at him. "I'm glad you're find, then. Though... I saw a small bit of blood, still, leaking through the bandage cloths of yours. Are you sure that it doesn't hurt?" she persisted.  
  
Eriol closed his eyes and nodded his head, the smile still on his face. "It'll be fine. We still have a lot to do, remember? So rest up, Sakura. Rest up until I am ready to come back to pick you up." He watched as she dully nodded, going back into her covers. _The potion's working..._ Slowly, he bent down, and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Rest well, my..." Eriol then whispered a word into Sakura's ears, and her eyes shot open for a moment.  
  
"Wait--!! Eriol, you..." But no matter what, the exhaustion she felt took her over as she fell back onto her bed.  
  
After Eriol tucked her in, he shut his eyes for a moment, brushed his lips on her cheek once more, and dejectedly walked out of the room. He shut the door behind him and pressed his hand onto the knob. Hard. A light ran through the knob in a flash. After it dimmed once more, Eriol was obviously content with that.  
  
"Why not give her a bit of poison? That way, you would not have to worry about her waking up," Irian retorted.  
  
Eriol smiled clandestinely at her. "Let's just go," he whispered. "I have to pay your lord a visit."  
  
Irian frowned uncomfortable as she shifted about. "I wish you would not kill him..." she whispered.  
  
"Let's just see what I'm going to do first, instead, okay?" he said, holding up his beloved staff.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 26 - Shadow World_  
  
Syaoran winced as he felt the hard stick hit his bared chest once more, slashing into more of his wounds. He had writhed and twisted his bonded hands until the rope dug into his raw skin. Syaoran was tied to a stake, his hands behind his back, though his feet were left to freely hang. For the first half an hour, Syaoran had kicked just about anybody who wanted to get near him with a weapon of some sort. But as soon as he started to tire out, the soldiers started to strike at him, hoping for him to yell out in torture and agony. Instead, Syaoran only flinched each time, shutting his eyes tightly as each hit came.  
  
He could now taste the bitter blood in his mouth, and reeled as some started to drip out of his mouth and down his chin. As time started to pass, Syaoran could not block their attacks as easily as before, especially if his legs could not block so high. And it did not help as they started to beat his legs as well.  
  
The commander walked up to Syaoran, grinning from ear to ear. "I suppose that we shall give you to the master. We can just say that you were resisting too much. _After _we have our entertainment, of course, we give you to her. Now how does it feel to be thrashed in such a way. You should be grateful that we had the slaves rid from these parts. Keeps the humiliation down to a minimum, you understand?" When Syaoran did not answer, the head bahrrn clobber him right across the face.  
  
His face jerked to the side, groaning. Syaoran took in a staggering breath, trying his best to stay awake. But he did not know why. If he had fainted instead, at least he would not feel the pain as quickly. Syaoran did not have any more time to think upon that topic as the commander continued to hit him, each in a repeated rhythm. One on the left, then one on the right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Syaoran wanted to cry out, he did. But crying out would show weakness, and he did not want to show that.  
  
They each took turns to continue to damage him, and it went on for what seemed like hours for Syaoran. _I... I won't be able to stay awake any longer, I really won't. I can hardly feel the pain and the blood coming out anymore..._  
  
It was then when an angel flew overhead, coming to rescue the descendant of Clow Reed.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 26 - Shadow World  
_  
Tomoyo watched from above as Yue carried her over the houses. "We're in Lyrra..." she whispered to herself. "I can't believe that we are finally here. Are you sure that you're okay, Yue?" she then addressed him. "I mean, you're carrying me and a large bag of crap, too. Can you really handle all of that?"  
  
"I am fine, Tomoyo," he answered back above the wind. "But keep a watch for Sakura's love. We are passing over the slave's site. He must be working somewhere down there."  
  
"Yeah..." Tomoyo mumbled. "Poor Syaoran. I hope he's okay. And Sakura, too. I wonder if she and Eriol are here."  
  
"They might not be. There is no loud commotion in action currently, and the men and women are still slaves."  
  
But they passed all over the site over five times in almost an hour, yet they could not spot Syaoran anywhere at all. "I think we should try the rest of this place," Tomoyo suggested. "He might not be working right now, and we have to try every possibility that we can think of. Let's go over there." She then pointed to where the huts and households laid. "Just make sure that you are high enough to not be seen at all by those have stayed behind."  
  
"I understand that already; you have nothing to worry about," Yue told her.  
  
Suddenly, about fifteen minutes later, the sound of laughter caught the two's ears, and Yue headed over in that direction. What they saw surprised them to no ends. Tomoyo held her hands to her mouth as she gasped, feeling tears well into her eyes. "Oh, my God!" she whispered fiercely as she saw the limp figure of her close friend.  
  
Swooping down, Yue landed behind a few trees, meters away from the crowd of soldiers. "Listen to me," he whispered softly to Tomoyo. "I will attempt to draw the soldiers away. Take the knife that you have out and cut the boy loose. Nobody deserves this type of pain. Do it as quickly as you can and run back here."  
  
Tomoyo swallowed nervously, yet nodded her head. "O-okay," she whispered, digging into her pack after Yue handed it to her a bit too forcefully. Her hands shaking violently, she cringed as she held the knife in her hand as she watched Yue charged out, flying overhead for effect, most likely. He held out a hand as the shimmering blue energy shone once more, causing more effect than needed to draw the warriors' attentions.  
  
Seconds later, Yue was hitting down any person opposing him and had immediately distracted their attention. Quickly, he drew them away from the hard-breathing Syaoran, and Tomoyo made her way secretly, yet swiftly, past the brawl. "Syaoran!" she whispered fiercely. "Syaoran, please answer me!" As carefully and rushed as she could, Tomoyo sliced through the hard rope, and watched as he flailed in the air.  
  
Stumbling, Syaoran collapsed in Toyomo's arms. "Ugh..." he groaned, his eyes closed.  
  
"Syaoran! Syaoran!" Tomoyo gasped, shaking him softly. Bending down, she cupped his face into her hands, saddened almost to tears at the condition he was in currently. "Are you okay?! What happened to you?!"  
  
Syaoran opened his eyes partially, and stared at her. "You found me..." he whispered hoarsely. "Tomoyo... You found me... Is... Is it the real you?"  
  
Nodding her head, she said, "come on. We need to get you out of here. It's dangerous if those people plan on coming to get you back." Tugging his torn sleeve of his t-shirt, she continued desperately, "get up, Syaoran! We need to get going now!" But she could only watch as he lagged a bit, staggering and struggling to just stay away. His face was torn and injured, scrapes and slashes all about his body. "Oh, Syaoran," she whispered.  
  
But he only ignored her, and pressed his face forward towards hers, still a bit in a daze during this situation, and this position forced Tomoyo to stumbled back to the ground. "Tomoyo..." he whispered huskily.  
  
Edging back a bit, Tomoyo stared at him. "What... What is it?" she squeaked. But as she tried to continue to back away, she found that Syaoran's arms snaked around her and pulled her towards him. Suddenly, she found his dried and bloodied, yet gentle lips, on hers. And then, two word entered her mind.  
  
_Oh... dear..._ Tomoyo thought, her eyes widening at his actions, when something else entered her mine as well. Something... which took over her thoughts, showing itself to her in its pure form.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Told ya thingy was short. And it wasn't even that sappy, either. Blargh. I'm trying to get to the part I wanna get to!!! T_T Next chapter: You get to find out more about how Eriol is feeling about everything that is happening. Please revieewwwwwww!!!_


	14. Unwanted Knowledge

_ Wheeee!! I'm on chapter fourteen! I think that this fic will be about eighteen chapters long. (I'm sooo good. Planned everything out! Hee!)  
  
Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me.  
  
Rei Eien: Hee! Twists are always fun to do.  
  
Sakura: Umm... this story was planned out far ahead of the pace where everybody is reading. I already made the couple Syaoran/Tomoyo. I know it's kinda hard to read about, but when I pair Eriol/Sakura together, I tend to not know who Syaoran should go w/. ^^U Maybe next time I'll ask first. Gomen...  
  
Gigicerisier: Oh, man, you serious??? Right after comments, I think that flames are some of the best things I'll ever wanna receive! My friends and I love laughing at them. ^^\/ And about riddles in my story, I suppose it's hard to understand b/c I post up one chapter at a time... I, for one, understand it all. *laughs* I'm weird...  
  
DianeFallahan: I knooowww! Eriol/Sakura seem to be getting more popular, though. Well, just SLIGHTLY. ^^ I'm glad you like my stuff!!  
  
Kimmy: Well, here's the next chapter! Thank you for waitinnggg!!  
  
Aore: Hehe. Irian is just sorta a small character I made to get between Sakura and Eriol a bit. Just a SMALLLL bit. Wheee!! I know. Eriol's back. Hehe.  
  
Starlight Princess: Umm... it's out. O.O Is my story really that good? *feels so special*  
  
Musicstarlover: I continued! ^^ Thanks for the comment.  
  
liteblossomyugiluver: Awww... *blushes* Not a gift. Writing is something I like to do. ^^ I will SOOOOOOOO have fluff in the end! (I hope... dunno how to write it...) But I REALLY wanna! *jumps up and down*  
  
Mebe: Okay... *embarrassed* When I wrote this entire story, and got through about half of it, I realized that I left Touya and everybody else on Earth out! I feel soooooooooo bad. *sweatdrops* Let's just say he's on vacation on another continent or something... *nods head nods head*  
  
Evil Enchantress: ^^ Hehe. I kinda haf fun doing this, though. I'm glad you think this is a good story!! \^o^/  
  
Elle-poohbear: You know?! Wheee!! Tellll me. *laughs*  
  
cherryblossompeace: Wheee!! I just wanted some sort of way for the couples to recognize each other, which is how I came up w/ the Name idea. ^^\/ POCKYYY!!!  
  
M. V.: I wrote more! Hee! Here's the next chapter. *nods head*_  
  
**Chapter Fourteen: Unwanted Knowledge**  
  
_Day 30 - Shadow World_  
  
Eriol sat on top of a sandy hill, looking down upon a small opening of a cave. His staff had been fully transformed, hanging lightly off of his shoulder. Irian stood next to him as she held a hand to her forehead, looking past the many fields of fiery sand as she tried to block the sun. Wincing, she sighed. "I suppose that you leave now," she said after an eternity of silence. "And I must return to my home. Shall I enter after you finish, or am I safe?"  
  
"I'm not here to slaughter," he told her, never looking up; just straight ahead. "Just to let out a bit of anger in me."  
  
"You have marked her as your own so quickly?" Irian raised an eyebrow. "So expressive, are you not?" When he did not answer, Irian turned to look forward once more. "How did you get her Name in the first place? It is not as if she knew enough to speak to you and utter it out so easily and casually."  
  
Instead of answering, Eriol just sat there and shut his eyes. "Is it that painful to think upon?" she asked.  
  
"It is when it happened during the time I was almost slaughtered to death," he said, subconsciously holding his hand to his abdomen, feeling his stomach churn at this current conversation. "I remember the arrow striking me, causing a thousand different kind of pains to shoot through my entire body. But before I entirely blacked out, I heard a word in my head. It was such a beautiful word, dancing in my mind, as if it wanted to ease the pain I felt. All that happened just right before I collapsed. Yet still, before I did pass out, I remembered feeling myself return a word back to the person."  
  
Smiling sadly, Eriol continued. "I had no clue what the word meant, or even if it was important to me at all. But when I saw her again, when I saw her and felt the anger ignite inside of me... It was then when I realized everything. It was then when I discovered what a Name truly meant."  
  
"Yet you can do nothing about it," Irian concluded. "You can do nothing to cease this passion."  
  
"Yes. Sakura has another lover already. I... I have said her Name to her, but I doubt that she will remember. Hopefully, she will not, because that was a loss of control on my part. I can never love her because it can never be."  
  
Irian, to Eriol's surprise, chuckled and shook her head. "You, Sir Eriol, are trying too hard to be something that you are not. And what you are not is an elderly wise man. You are less than twenty years old, and one cannot expect so much from you. You think as if no one is capable of loving you. What if the lady _does _desire you more than this other man that I have never met? If she does, then you should do what your heart tells you to do so, not what your mind believes to be moral."  
  
"I don't think that reassured me any more than it was supposed to," Eriol said uncertainly.  
  
"Discovering the Name of one another is something sacred and legendary. I still believe you to be preposterous, but I am not quite so sure any longer. You should know what it means already, dear Eriol. It is finding one's other half, one's destined partner for each and every lifetime. It is dangerous for any other person to discover one's Name, for they can use it, or cherish it. And usually, the discoverer dares to use a Name instead, and taint it. Now that you have her Name, you can force her to love you, or give it back to her, therefore cherishing it. And one such as you should know what to do."  
  
Accumulating this, Eriol tightened his grip on his staff, his knuckles turning white. "I don't know," he whispered, lowering his eyes to stare at the ground. "I truly do not know..."  
  
Another eternity passed before Irian said in a tired voice, "Let us get this over with, shall we not? I wish to do this before I change my mind and try to kill you, instead, to protect my lord."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 29 - Shadow World_  
  
The first few days, Syaoran experienced a harsh fever. He hardly slept, tortured by an enormous amount of heat and irritation within himself. When he was able to listen in, he could hear blurred sounds and muffled voices. Syaoran tried to open his eyes, but they did not obey his weak commands. His head felt burdensome and heavy as he cried out many times at night, shouting for help, or at least to extinguish this pain.  
  
He felt hot and clammy, the blanket sometimes scratching against his skin and against his wounds. The second and third day were no better, but no worse as well. Sometimes, he felt comforted, and slept long. Other times, hell could have been more relaxing. They fed him a bitter drink, which he flung off of his lap after tasting it. After that, everything else was of a blur.  
  
Today, Syaoran cried out in fierce pain as he clutched a blanket tightly in his hands. Tgaeh was unsympathetically peeling the bandages from his wounds as he quickly reapplied the remedy and medication. "Hush, Syaoran," he murmured, concentrating on the injuries as to ignore his tortured screams. "The sooner I get this done, the sooner it will be over and you can go back to rest. Or you can make it easier on yourself by just fainting, dear friend."  
  
After that, for some reason, Syaoran felt much better, and could stay conscious for a little while longer. He took in staggering breaths as Tgaeh finished up his work and patted Syaoran's hair, the only place without much of any wounds. "You are quite an idiot, Syaoran," Tgaeh then laughed.  
  
Looking up at him for an explanation, Tgaeh explained, "you did not drink the medicine last night, did you know that? One taste and you threw it away as if it were poison. Had to clean it up as well, so you have much to repent for later on. In fact, the only way you got some down your throat was when the girl came in, and gently tilted just a slight into your mouth. The winged man waited outside. But you drank it from her, you did. After that, you refused it all once again. If you had only taken a bit more, you'd be even better. And if you drank it all, you would be completely fine, you insolent dolt."  
  
"Ah, shut your mouth up," Syaoran murmured distortedly as he closed his eyes and went back to his deep slumber.  
  
Hours later, he woke up, the hot sun playing on his face as it came through a window. Raising an arm to place on his forehead, Syaoran then winced, realizing that there was a cloth wrapped around that part. He took in a deep breath, ended up coughing a storm as he held his second hand to his chest, clasping it on his shirt tightly. Suddenly, somebody rushed in, hearing his distress. "Syaoran!" Turning to look sideways, his eyes widened at seeing Tomoyo.  
  
"Tomo-ah!!" He had gotten up too quickly and his body reacted in its natural way because of it. He bent down in pain as he held onto himself in hurt. Sitting down next to him, she patted his back lightly as he continued to cough. Finally, minutes later, it died down until Syaoran felt fine once more. Groaning, he leaned back, shutting his eyes for a moment. "Tomoyo..."  
  
"Yes?" she asked softly, a grimacing look upon her face.  
  
"What happened to your arm?" he asked. Yet, she appeared surprise at his observation "Anybody would notice the big bandage, silly. Well?"  
  
Turning her head away, Tomoyo tried her best to repress the memory of that day. D_oes he remember anything that happened after what he did to me? Or does he even remember what he did?_ She shook her head.  
  
_ Tearing herself away from him, Tomoyo then lifted him up. "C-come on, Syaoran. Snap out of it, because I am not Sakura! Please get up... Please-" Suddenly, she was pushed down forcefully, causing her hold on Syaoran to loosen. "AH!" she shouted as something sharp sliced through her right arm's sleeve.  
  
She shrieked in pain as another shadow ran over to her. "Tomoyo! Get up!" Opening her eyes, she saw Yue fighting above her. "Hold onto that knife and watch over the boy!" He threw his magic at the soldiers once more and was able to cause most of them to fly back, some even passing out.  
  
Eyes wide and alert, Tomoyo suddenly felt Syaoran move. Quickly turning around, she saw somebody trying to grab him away from her. "H-hey!" Tomoyo protested, about to strike.  
  
In an instant, the man held his hand up. "Wait! Halt! I am not a bahrrn, can you not see?! This man, Syaoran, he is also my friend. Hurry and come. I am sure that your companion is well on his own, so let us go!" He then scooped the injured boy up into his arms, and turned around to run.  
  
Not knowing what to do, Tomoyo sat there, the commotion taking place just a few feet away from her. Unexpectedly, another person grabbed onto her arm and heaved her up. Looking at her, Tomoyo saw that she was a young adult female. "Come," she whispered to Tomoyo. "Syaoran will be fine, and so will that angel. But you we must tend to as well."  
_  
After that, they had bandaged her arm first, and then tended to the disoriented and frenzied Syaoran. It took Yue a while to find them, but after he did, he flew to the roof, acting as a vigilant lookout, in case any guards come along this way.  
  
"Tomoyo?" Syaoran asked softly, staring at her. She had turned away from him, looking somewhere else, her head bowed. Frowning as he furrowed his eyebrows, he leaned forward and grabbed her shoulder. "Tomoyo... I remember what I did," he told her in a serious tone. "I... I remember the kiss."  
  
Feeling her tense beneath his touch, he quickly let go. "I... I think--Um, actually, never mind. I'm just a bit confused, Tomoyo, as to why I did that. I... I felt relieved to see you, and maybe that's because I haven't seen nor heard from you, Yue, Sakura, any of them for a while. Especially, Eriol, I suppose."  
  
Tomoyo's eyes lowered as she understood what he was trying to say. _I have to agree with those words, and pretend that nothing happened to us. He did it on the account of how much he missed us. And I'm supposed to leave it at that, am I?_ Slowly, she nodded, her back still facing him. "Yes," she whispered. "I was extremely relieved to see you, too, Syaoran. I guess that we just couldn't control ourselves. But that's because we're such good friends, yes."  
  
"That's right," Syaoran said in a relieved voice, smiling. "Now, I guess that we should-"  
  
"Eriol returned to Japan," she told him, spinning around to look at him. "He's coming to get you, along with Sakura. It was because of him that Sakura was even able to get to Shadow World, though the rest of us could not follow the two of them. Yue and I left later, but we were able to get to a closer location than where they probably started out from. In fact, we got here in record time, I do believe." She then beamed at him, as if she were extremely happy.   
  
"Eriol... and Sakura?" Syaoran asked, narrowing his eyes. The old hatred he felt for this reincarnation of Clow Reed was gradually returning. It did not matter if the teen had opened a portal to Shadow World, rescued Syaoran with his own hands, and had done it while waltzing across this entire world; Syaoran could not help but feel uncomfortable when it came to Eriol and Sakura together. And for them to be together alone--_alone_--for such a long time, it infuriated him even more. He clenched his hands into fists. "How long have they been traveling by themselves by now?"  
  
"Uh..." Tomoyo said in a nervous voice, obviously being able to feel his radiating anger. "Maybe just a slight bit more than three... weeks. Eriol coincidentally returned just the day after you were gone, you know."  
  
Syaoran snorted. "When it comes to _him_, there are no such things as coincidences, Yunashiri."  
  
Sucking in a breath, Tomoyo's eyes widened as she backed away from him, getting off the bed as soon as she could, acting as if he were a plague. "W-w-what did you call me?!" she hissed.  
  
Clapping a hand over his mouth, Syaoran had an incredulous expression on his face. What had possessed him to call her that?! What did that name mean, anyway?! _Name... Wait a minute. Name... Name... Could that be... no! That can't! _Tomoyo, he thought as he looked at her. _She doesn't know about this, so I shouldn't say anything about it at all._ "I..." he then forced out a laugh. "Oh, it's just a name I heard around here, Tomoyo," he said, quickly changing his expression to a joking one. "Guess that it just slipped into my mouth, that's all. Nothing special about it."  
  
Staring at him, Tomoyo said in a stoic voice, "Y-yes. Yes, of course. After all, I'm Tomoyo, huh? I'm not Sakura." Suddenly, her face brightened as she stood up. "Oh! I just forgot something at first. Give me a second, Syaoran." She ran out of the room, shouting for Eurena. _Mushi's wife is here?_ Syaoran wondered afterwards. When Tomoyo shortly entered once more, she held many objects in her hand as she walked quickly back to him. Dumping the contents down, she held a large smile upon her face.  
  
Syaoran stared in puzzlement for a moment until the objects started to look familiar to him. "My stuff!" he gasped, gathering them all into his grasp. Taking a scroll into one hand, and his sword--transformed quickly--in his other, he used a spell, and his eyes widened when the wind picked up and died down gradually. "I have my magic back!!" he exclaimed loudly.  
  
"Eurena had everything with her ever since you were brought here," Tomoyo explained softly, staring at the edge of the bed from where she sat. "She-"  
  
"We're going to go against her," Syaoran suddenly interrupted.  
  
Tomoyo blinked as she looked up. "What? What did you say, Syaoran?"  
  
"We are going to fight against Dtarna," he stated once more. "I have had enough of this place, and all the hurt that I have seen. There has been so much loss, and so much agony. It's time to stop that bitch and her power trip; she's been leader of this place for long enough. Besides, with so many people here with us, how can we be defeated? Yue is here as well, right?"  
  
"H-hai..." Tomoyo murmured, shifting her eyes to stare up at the roof. "He is up there, watching for anything that might be of danger. We'll be fine; for a while, that is. But... are you sure that you want to so quickly-"  
  
"He will not be able to," Tgaeh retorted, having walked in once more, holding onto a tray with a bowl placed on top. "His injuries are not the most easily healed ones. But you knew that already, Syaoran, did you not? Why push yourself when you are just starting to get better?"  
  
"But-"  
  
Suddenly, Tgaeh walked over to the bed to clasp a hand onto Syaoran shoulder, smiling happily. "Do not worry; we will all go with you when you are feeling much better. Natir, Eurena, and I will be there to help. There is also an entire group ready for action just in case such a situation will ever rise once more; we are all ready."  
  
"Once more?" Tomoyo questioned.  
  
But Syaoran was not listening as he stared at Tgaeh, the question in his eyes. _Another group ready... and Tgaeh is part of it?_ But he asked it aloud anyway. "Why?"  
  
"Heredity, I suppose," his friend shrugged his shoulders, a smile still playing on his lips. "If my parents could accumulate such courage, then I do not see why I cannot as well. There is," he continued, watching Syaoran's reactions, "much more to life than just working in the ruins and coming back home exhausted, just dreaming of freedom. For when one realizes one's dream, it is no longer a dream. It is a plan, a plan ready to be carried out."  
  
"Your smile is contagious," Syaoran said, also growing a grin upon his face. "Okay, then!! Once I get back into good shape, let's do this!"  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 30 - Shadow World_  
  
"Iri...an... betrayer..." Haeli choked out before she fell to the ground, unconscious. Sucking in a deep and stuttering breath, the woman backed up from the fallen body, tucking her dagger back into the pocket of her skirt. She turned away, though she knew that it was just a minor wound, and it was the strike upon her head that made her fall.  
  
"Forgive me, Haeli," Irian murmured. "But one does realize when another has crossed a line, and Lord Vequal has definitely crossed that intolerable line."  
  
Eriol closed his eyes, taking in an image of this entire location's tunnels, where each pathway ran, and where they led. His running steps reverberated in the walls, but he continued on the path he mentally sketched out for himself. Eriol held onto his staff tightly, feeling ready to take down anything he needed to in order to get to where he had to go. After many twists and turns, and knocking down soldiers who interrupted his goal, he came upon a large opening. Entering it, he found the target he had searched for.  
  
"You!" Eriol hissed, narrowing his eyes, stalking closer.  
  
Getting up from where he sat, Lord Vequal raised an eyebrow, surprised that someone was interrupting his solitude. He was wearing casual clothing of his own style, no armor or any such defensive material on his body at all. Eriol took this information in, and though to himself, _this is not going to be hard at all_. "And who might you be? Judging from your attire, you are not exactly of my clan, are you?"  
  
"I would never want to be!" the boy hissed, raising his staff into the air to point it at the much older man. "And after what you did to _my_-"  
  
"What I did?" Vequal questioned. "I don't even know you, young one, so how can I possibly... Oh." A mocking expression started to dawn on this warrior's face when he realized exactly what Eriol was speaking about. He crossed his arms over his chest, and lounged with his back to a wall. "You mean that _girl_, don't you? Then you must be the one I had supposedly gotten rid of. Now how are you able to be walking at this current time?"  
  
"I'm not here to talk to you of foolish words. Nobody's going to be here to help you," he whispered calmly, watching Vequal's laughing face started to morph into shock and realization of the situation he was in. "They're all either sleeping, dead, or just something else. This time," he murmured, taking a few steps forward, "I'm going to _really _make you pay... And Dtarna, she ain't gonna be here to help you."  
  
"You... You... HOW?!"  
  
Eriol clenched his hand into a fist. "That is nothing of your concern! You tried to _kill _me! And then you tried to hurt my friend!! Now, I'm going to give you the punishment that you deserve!!" The teenager then raised his staff up above, ignoring the shot of pain that ran through his abdomen, ready to give back his revenge upon this man.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 30 - Shadow World_  
  
The rain was pouring down, having unexpectedly appear. It crashed onto the sand and the clouds covered up the sun, running across the lands a view of gray sky and depressing thoughts. Eriol looked up above after he left the caves through an entrance/exit. Irian decided to stay, welcoming her punishment when her people would awake, other than Vequal.  
_  
"I deserve it," she whispered, tears streaming down her face as she would not turn to look at him. "I betrayed my people for an outsider, for a love I thought I felt. I was foolish and it is unforgivable for my actions. Leave, outsider. Leave, and do me this favor: never allow me to set my eyes upon you again."  
  
"Irian, I am under you debt. That is why... I offer you a solution for what I did."  
  
"It can not help. You have destroyed him, and there is nothing to take it back. Go, love, and never return."  
  
Eriol took her into his arms after she resisted for a while, and held her. "You will see," he murmured. "You will see what it is that I have to offer you..."_  
  
Taking in the rain, he remembered that time when he and Sakura were attacked, causing them to depart. _Sakura_... the name spoken in his mind. His heart slightly clenched at the thought of her. What was he going to do? What _would _he do? _She should still be sleeping, so I will just tell her that Irian returned to her home, and we should just continue our journey. Nothing wrong is going to happen, I'm sure._  
  
Eriol felt his clothes soak through, the wind blowing harshly against him as he slowly took his time to get back. It felt like hours, days, an eternity as he felt the impact of what he did causing regret to start to form. _But... I did it for HER. I did it for Sakura, for the pain she had to go through. It's just as what Irian did for me. I can't go back on what I did. There is nothing that I should regret when it comes to... Sakura...  
_  
He entered the inn, seeing that hardly anybody was still up, the key of the staff in his wet hand. Was it really that late? In a daze, he walked up the stairs, and stopped in front of Sakura's room, staring at the door. That took up another eternity. Eriol sighed, and tapped the knob once, seeing the light that entered there before flicker and returned to him. He placed his hand on it, then twisted the handle to hear a click.  
  
Before anything else could happen, the door swung open all the way. Eriol's tired eyes met angry ones, when his head jerked with a loud slap. "Eriol-kun..." a fierce whisper was heard. Eyes widening, Eriol slowly turned his head back around, and found himself facing a wide-awake Sakura. "What..." she continued in that whisper, which was filled with ire, "did you _do_?"  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Eww... cliffhanger. =P Hehe. Is everything starting to become a bit clearer w/ the Name thing? Eh, I hope so... Please review now. ^^ Tell me what you think of this story, or what might happen, or flame me!! I'll just laugh at the last one and show them to my friends, but still! ^^\/_


	15. Clash of Emotions

_ This is THE chapter! Whoo! Well, maybe not, since it's not... no! I won't ruin it for my readers (who are so few... considering the couple. Haha). But yeah... whee. This chapter has MOMENTS in it. ACTUAL moments! Can you believe that?! Can I believe that? Let's just say yes. Hehe.  
  
Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me.  
  
RuByMoOn: I put cliffhangers because I love my readers sooo much. *grins evilly* Okay, I put them on because I just wanna. Gyah... I'm not nice, ne?  
  
Aore: Awww... I'm glad to know that my updating makes SOMEBODY happy! Wheee!  
  
starlight princess: It's out! Happiness ensure? ^__^  
  
mysticalia: The Name factor was never really something that I understood myself. (What?! What the hell are you talking about, you damned bitch author?! YOU WROTE THIS STORY!!! Haha. Yeah... I'm j/k! Nooo! Don't take me seriously, or I'd sound stupid!) Basically, I used the idea of Names to make a soul mate concept out of it. You hold and cherish the significant other's Name, you two are meant to be. And about Syaoran and Tomoyo... whee! ^^ Keep guessing. You'll find out why Sakura slapped Eriol. Secrets aren't a good thing to keep, after all...  
  
Kimmy & Lizzy: I continued. Hehe. Keep reading for me, please!  
  
Kimmy: I know what you mean. I should stop being so lazy, anyway. Hehe. If I keep writing, I keep getting better! YAH!  
  
tiarella-cordifolia: Now I know that you love this fanfic. I love yoouuu for loving it! *glomps her* I try to be as original as I can. I'm glad I accomplished that part.  
  
Gigicerisier: Your romantic chapter has come out. *grins* You'll find out more stuff here. Hehe. Thanks for reviewing!  
_  
**Chapter Fifteen: Clash of Emotions**  
  
_Day 30 - Shadow World_  
  
"What did you _do?_" Sakura gasped. She was still wearing the same thing: scarf over a shirt and a pair of jeans. She then moved forward to grip her hands on his arms, staring straight at his face. "What happened?! Wh... wh... _why?!_"  
  
Eriol shook his head, moving his hand up to hold her face, but she evaded his touch. He smiled. "Come on, Sakura, I'm tired. Let me just get some rest, and then we'll go find Syaoran, okay? We'll get him back for you, and you'll live happily ever after. On Earth, of course; totally not here." He moved to walk past her, turning his head away.  
  
"You're wet... you went somewhere, Eriol! I want an answer now!!" she shouted.  
  
He slowly turned his head back, staring at her with half-opened eyes as his eyelids tried to jerk up once more to look as if everything was fine. "I got rid of _him _for you, Sakura. That... _lord _will never have anybody to order around anymore, because he..." Eriol then walked off again, this time, with Sakura starting to understand exactly what had happened. He sat down on the bed, his abdomen not feeling as pleasant once more.  
  
"You did... what?! I was _worried_, but now... I don't know what to think! Is it fun for you to torture me like this?! Is it?!" She reached out and her hand clasped onto his shoulder when he jerked his head up. This time, Sakura was not the only one who looked angry and infuriated.  
  
"God!" Eriol yelled, his hair flying in the air, with the water flaying out as well. "What do you want from me, Sakura?! I told you that I'd help you get Syaoran back, and that STILL isn't enough?!"  
  
Shaking her head, Sakura said, "It's just another game for you, isn't it?! It's never serious! Don't think that I don't remember what it was like back in fifth grade-"  
  
"And fifth grade is the only time that you remember me!" Eriol said, gasping some air out of his lungs. Damn. Still too painful for him. "Look, you hardly knew me. Why don't you just leave me alone, and we'll just forget that this ever happened okay? You don't need to know what I did," Eriol then tried to muster up a smile, but realizing that he failed badly, just turned his gaze away from her. He sat down on the bed and wrapped his arm around his stomach, attempting ease the pain away, at least until this argument was over.  
  
"I _knew _you in fifth grade! You and I were best friends, along with Tomoyo and Syaoran! Are you trying to tell me that all of those times were just... lies?!" she asked.  
  
Eriol nodded automatically. "I am a sorcerer. I have to be good at deception. You're not supposed to know that I was really Clow Reed's reincarnation. I mean, sure I enjoyed a couple of things we did together and all..."  
  
"LIAR!" she yelled, horrified at his casualness at the moment. "We had _fun _in elementary school! You couldn't have smiled all those times and not really mean just one of them to be sincere!"  
  
"Just go-" he started to shout.  
  
"Like hell I will!" Sakura hissed at him, putting both arms on both sides of the bed, staring straight into his eyes. "I don't understand this! I-I mean, you're always smiling. Well, yeah, that's a good thing. But now I realize that it isn't. At least, not with you!" she added hastily in an angry and annoyed tone. "You're hurt, you're obviously in pain, and you STILL freaking smile! Don't you care that people worry about you?! Or are you always in denial like this-"  
  
"I am NOT in denial! Why don't you just get over that right now?! I'm just fine!" This was not how he had wanted for things to go. In a way, Sakura was not supposed to find out anything. And now that she has, and she was not happy about it.  
  
"Can't tell by the way you're acting!"  
  
Getting up from his bed, Eriol walked up to her, grabbed her arm, and jerked her, as if hoping that shaking her would cause her to stop what she was doing. "Why. Don't. You. Just. Try. To. Leave. Me. ALONE!!" he yelled with each shake, ignoring the pain that his actions were causing him in his abdomen.  
  
When he finished, the two of them were breathing heavily, Eriol from the seething and aching pain in him, and Sakura from jumping around, yelling at him, and now being shook by him. "So," she whispered, looking away to her side. "Is that what you want from me? You want me to just get the heck outta here and forget about you?"  
  
Blinking, Eriol looked down at her. He realized just how close they were, how her hair was just a few millimeters away from his mouth, and how he could smell her. She wasn't looking at him, and it hurt to know that. To know that they were so close and yet she did not want to see his face. He started to wonder what happening. Why he was feeling this way. How she enveloped him with her scent. Ooohhh no. What was happening to him? When he saw that Sakura was trying to pull away, he felt himself grip her shoulders even tighter. No. There was no way that he was letting her go.  
  
Oh. Maybe she wanted him to answer her question... No wonder she was trying to get away.  
  
Still gazing at her, Eriol found that he couldn't talk. Something was blocking his voice and words from coming out. "Umm..." he managed. And he tried hard, too.  
  
Finally, in relief, Eriol saw that Sakura was looking up at him. "Let me go, Eriol," she told him.  
  
Oh. Not a good thing.  
  
"I..." he whispered huskily, wondering how his voice got that way, and why he was acting like this. "I can't."  
  
Staring up at him, Eriol saw a slow flush cover Sakura's face.  
  
Not knowing how it happened, Eriol found that his lips were on hers. He continued to silently gaze into her eyes, seeing her surprise, when her eyes gradually closed and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Whoa. When did _that _happen?  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 30 - Shadow World_  
  
Somehow, Eriol managed to move the two of them to the bed without disconnecting their lips. To make things more blissful, Sakura did not act as if she minded at all, along with the fact that the pain from his stomach had diminished. He kissed her top lip, her bottom one, and then just let his mouth guide him, closing his eyes, just trying to taste as much of her as he could. With her back on the bed, Sakura sighed softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
He felt himself kissing her again and again, feeling his tongue meet hers as he tried to press himself to her as hard as he could, probably trying to crush her underneath him. Bliss. It was pure bliss. Thank God that Yue, Cerberus, Nakuru, and everybody else were not here, predicting their reactions to this. Quickly, Eriol pushed those thoughts to the back of his head, hardly acknowledging them when he took his mouth away from hers to bite gently at her neck, then quickly moved back up to claim what was his.  
  
She _was _his, after all, Eriol realized. He held her Name in his grasp, and that was more than enough proof for him to hold onto this emotion he contained within him. And he knew she held his, causing them both to be bound to each other. _I care for you, Sakura, and you know that..._  
  
He pulled her closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and feeling her hands move up and down his chest. Gently, she passed her hands over his wound, and placed them there for a second. Eriol could feel her sadness over the injury on him, and he wanted to smile in happiness, knowing that she cared.  
  
After a while-Eriol couldn't really tell _how _long it had been-finally disconnecting his lips to hers, Eriol started to move down her cheek to her throat again, placing his lips on the path he made while Sakura tilted her head up, giving him better access. When he reached the base of her neck, Eriol quickly undid the scarf she had on, still making sure nothing else was too out of place. He started to rain kisses on her now exposed shoulder. Her own touches on him were intoxicating, encouraging and wonderful. Unconsciously, he whispered her Name, mumbling it slightly above the sound of air itself.  
  
Eriol then took in her scent, and starting to move on when he felt soft hands on his face, stopping him in his position. They were gentle on his skin, yet held a warning he knew he needed to consider.  
  
Looking up, Eriol's eyes widened. Oh, no... What in the world were they doing?! He realized that Sakura might have been thinking the same thing when he saw noticed she was in a sort of daze. "Sakura?" he whispered softly, afraid to move in case he might somehow hurt her if he did.  
  
As if his voice broke through to her, Sakura's eyes snapped awake, and she hurried to pull her scarf back up. Quickly, she shuffled off of his bed, and stumbled as she tried to get to the door.  
  
"Sakura..." Eriol tried, and then said louder, "Sakura!" But before he could attempt to stop her, she had already run out of the room.  
  
Sighing in dread and frustration, Eriol sat at the edge of the bed, and covered his face with his hands. Suddenly, the entire pain had surfaced back up again. Damn.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 30 - Shadow World_  
  
Sakura ran out of the room, almost tripping down the stairs, and burst out of the door of the inn, finding herself attacked by the cold, harsh wind. She gulped in short breaths, sucking in air as she stared at the droplets of water from the sky. Wrapping her arms around herself, Sakura fell to the ground, and just curled up there.  
  
She could still see Eriol's eyes when he first kissed her, how they held so much within them. Sakura slowly lifted her hands to touch her lips, remembering how his were wet from the rain after he had come back. What... what possessed her to allow him to do what he did before? What possessed her to encourage it and give more back? Sakura closed her eyes, sighing as she worried about how she would confront Eriol soon. They _have _to continue to journey, together. For her sake, and probably for his as well, they will make it through this, and after they return to Earth, he will probably leave. Again.  
  
"Sakura..."  
  
She gasped, jerking her head around as she moved away from where the voice was heard. It was Eriol, and he held a hand out, offering to pull her up while his other hand was placed over his stomach. Sakura felt herself wrench in half to see that he was still hurt. And yet, instead of taking his hand, she quickly got up, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I-I-I can get back up myself," she murmured, her eyes turned away.  
  
Reluctantly, he receded his hand back to his side and slowly nodded his head. "We'll go search tomorrow," he whispered. "I'm sure that some people will know of the place we're searching for." With those words, he turned around, slowly walking back into the inn.  
  
Sakura followed silently, cringing when she saw him pause momentarily, but resumed his walking as quickly as he had stopped. _He must be seriously hurting..._ she realized. "I'll take the floor tonight," she said aloud. "You take the bed."  
  
Eriol looked at her behind him, and shook his head. "No. I will be fine."  
  
"But-"  
  
"No!" he shouted, then softened his voice when he realized how harsh he might have sounded. "I... I will be fine..."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 31 - Shadow World_  
  
"Well?" Syaoran asked Tgaeh after he returned from the day's work. "How is it?"  
  
Tgaeh smiled, nodding his head as he entered Syaoran's room. "They are ready for action; all they need is the signal. How do you fare? I suppose the medicinal objects that the bahrrn obtained and gave me to apply to your wounds have been effective?"  
  
Syaoran nodded his head. "I'll be able to move in maybe one or two more days. Then, we'll go against Dtarna."  
  
"What do you have in mind, exactly?" Tgaeh asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Sighing, he lifted his hand to place on the back of his neck, massaging it slightly. "The main thing, I think, is that we need a confrontation with Dtarna. If we can defeat her, then it's all done. Do you remember that poem you recited to me? I think the eons are finally gone, and this is finally going to happen. She has many guards, bareens-"  
  
"Bahrrns," Tgaeh corrected.  
  
"Look! I just can't _say _that word!" Syaoran shouted in exasperation. "Leave me alone about it, will ya?!" He then took in a deep breath, with Tgaeh's amused expression not helping at all. "Anyway, she has many guards there, from what I last remember. If we can get enough people to take them down, or distract them, then we can reach to her place no problem. She has some women waiting on her, but they don't do anything.  
  
"Now," he said, looking up at Tgaeh, "I think the best thing we can do is get a distraction, because I'm sure we don't have enough people to fight against all of them. We don't have many weapons, and they probably have some magical items with them as well. Not that I don't anymore, either," he grinned, fishing out his scrolls from his pocket. "We have very little fire power, so we need to concentrate on this distraction. What do you think will be the most effective way to get almost all of the guards away from their positions to go investigate something that they think there's a problem with?"  
  
With that question in his mind, Tgaeh quickly sat down, his hand to his mouth in deep thought. "What would be of such a significant matter to them that would cause them to move away from their standings?" he whispered. "Well, the day after tomorrow, they are going to discard the amount of rocks placed in the demolition pile..."  
  
Syaoran's eyes widened at those words. "Wait... so it's going to happen the day after tomorrow?"  
  
Tgaeh nodded his head. "That is when they put the illusions up, and force us to return to our accommodations," he explained, not noticing that the gears inside of Syaoran's mind were starting to work, obviously seeing something important in what Tgaeh was saying. "That is when most of them go guard... that... place..."  
  
At almost the same time, Tgaeh realized exactly what he had just said. The two guys looked up at each other, and exclaimed, "The working site!"  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 32 - Shadow World_  
  
Eriol looked around, looking about for what he was searching for. He was in the streets of Lyrra, wandering in search for the second day. _Sakura_... he thought sadly. All she had done for these days was sit in her room silently, only listening to him when he brought food for her. He clenched his hands into fists angrily, wondering why it could not have been him who met her first instead of Syaoran, and won her heart.  
  
_ I hold her Name in my hands, but it doesn't matter to her at all. She still loves Syaoran, and I am just... here. It's almost as if I'm just getting in the way of Syaoran and her, but... I... I care for her. I deeply care for her, and I still will, even if she won't return those same feelings back to me._  
  
Suddenly, Eriol stopped in his steps when he reached just almost the end of the city, where it appeared to be isolated from the rest of the buildings. There, in front of him, was a large field of rocks piled upon one another, and workers laboring away under the hot sun after the night rain. Beyond that was a large palace, almost reaching up to the sky. But, with the slaves, he could recognize their exhausted expression, their tired bodies. He began to walk towards them, when Eriol found himself hit with some sort of power, and flew backwards.  
  
Groaning, he looked up and recognized the formula for an invisible barrier. Getting back up, he took a random person by the hand and said, "Excuse me! I'm sorry, but... what is this place?" He gestured to the palace.  
  
The woman stared at him, raising an eyebrow. "Why, sir, this is the palace of where Master Dtarna resides in."  
  
"And Master Dtarna is... the master, right?" he asked, laughing softly in a nervous tone of voice.  
  
"Yes," she said. "The master of the Shadow World, of course. Why, everybody knows that. Did you parents teach you nothing when you were younger, boy?"  
  
"I... I'm sorry," he stammered, feigning embarrassment as he sheepishly. "Excuse me now, but thank you."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 32 - Shadow World_  
  
Eriol quickly returned back to the inn, stopping once to obtain some food. He walked up the stairs and opened the door to their room, to find Sakura sitting on the bed, her head bowed slightly with her eyes closed. When she heard the motion of the door swinging, her head jerked up, eyes meeting with Eriol's.  
  
He averted his gaze and walked to sit down on a chair next to the bed. "Are you hungry?" he asked.  
  
Sakura shook her head. "No. I'm fine."  
  
"I found where Dtarna's palace is."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes. We can go see to finding Syaoran tomorrow immediately." He sucked in his breath, letting it out slowly. "Also... after we find him, and leave this place, I won't say a thing."  
  
"What?" she asked, looking up. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"The thing that happened last night, Sakura," Eriol stated. "It wasn't anything important, right? You'll be just fine without me there."  
  
Sakura moved to her body to look at him fully, and frowned. "I didn't mean for it to be like this, Eriol! Why do you have to make everything look like it's my fault?!"  
  
"Of _course _you didn't mean for this to happen, Sakura. None of us wanted this, I know... I know all of that." He also then turned, and stared straight into her eyes.  
  
"But last night..."  
  
"What happened last night, it confused me to unknown depths. I never knew that I could feel this way, especially towards any of you. Kaho... sure. Kaho... yes. But _you_, Sakura. You are incredible, and I just can't help it. Even though just seconds ago I told you that I wanted to forget about this, what makes you think that I won't? I can try to, for your sake, and Syaoran's. For both you, I am willing to leave it alone." Yet slowly, unconsciously, his hand was making its way towards her own, a contradiction upon his words. "Sakura..."  
  
She sighed, closing her eyes. Eriol inched his face closer, his lips almost touching her own. In the next moment, they brushed against her own lightly. "_Kaniana_..." he murmured.  
  
As if that one word woke her up, Sakura startled, and backed up. Gasping, she clutched her head, trembling furiously. "No! I can't... I can't--!!!"  
  
"Ka... Kani..." Eriol whispered, his eyes widening.  
  
"NO!" Sakura gasped, her hand to her mouth as she back away. "Don't say it!! Don't say it!!!" she pleaded. "You... you killed..."  
  
"How could I not?!" he shouted angrily. "That man was about to rape you, for crying out loud, Sakura!" In the next instant, he was up on the bed in front of her, his arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders. "If he had hurt you even more, I have no clue what I would have done. I never wanted to see you that hurt ever again," he said against her hair. "Ever since this journey started, something told me to protect you, to make sure you would never get hurt. There were times when it was my fault, and there were times when others caused the pain. When it was them, the anger surged within me, and I felt violence run through my veins. I... I... Kaniana-"  
  
Sakura pushed Eriol away once more, backing up as much as she could until she felt her back touch the wall.  
  
Eriol stared at the shaken girl in front of him. "Ka- I mean, Sakura..." he said.  
  
"Stop, Eriol! Don't..." she whispered. "Oh, no... It can't be... It can't be..."  
  
Eriol bit his lip. _Kaniana_... he whispered in his head.  
  
"I told you to not say it! Please! Please stop it!" she shouted.  
  
Taking a step back, Eriol blanked out, not knowing what to do in order to stop the one he adored in front of him from crying. So she could hear her Name, no matter when or where it was said. He gulped in some air, and breathed out, "I love you."  
  
Sakura's eyes opened when she heard those words. Looking up at him, she tried to slow her instability down, and curled up into a ball, hugging her knees. Unable to stop herself, she uttered the only reply she could think of, even though she knew he could hear her crystal clear, considering how she heard his. _Quan_... she pleaded.  
  
Eriol cupped her chin into his hands, forcing her to stare into his eyes. Already, she felt herself get lost in them, the dark and light mixture of colors swirling within them. Oh, the beauty they expressed, the hypnotic way she drew in towards them. The unwanted desire she felt grew, and for a while, she ignored it. "Yes," he whispered. And when he spoke, the tone of his voice lured her soul even more, the music and emotion each word expressed. "Say it again. Say my Name again. I want to hear your voice."  
  
"Qu... Qu..." she managed.  
  
"I love you," he continued to whisper, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I've always loved you, Kaniana." This time, to his happiness, Sakura did not show ire at him when he said her Name. "I loved you since I first saw you. I just didn't know so. And I still love you. Please... Please, Sakura... You know that I would never use your Name. It is yours. I cherish it."  
  
"And I cherish yours," she whispered, bringing a hand up to hold onto his. "It is yours, as mine is mine."  
  
Eriol stroked her face slightly, delighted that she was speaking to him. He kissed her eyes. "I love you," he breathed. He kissed her cheek, and her entire face but her lips, continuing to mutter those words to her each time. "Please, Sakura... Please don't leave me. Please don't hate me..." Then, he started to move in to kiss her lips once more.  
  
One movement ceased his actions, and shattered his hopes.  
  
Sakura turned away.  
  
Immediately, that movement showed him the loss of his temporary hold on her. The futile use of her Name. The beauty the two would have shared if she could only open her eyes and see. Instead, she chose the choice she felt safe with. The choice which the two had come to this world to seek. The choice, at this very moment, whom he felt anger and raging jealousy, yet utter loss towards.  
  
He did not need to hear the next words that came from her mouth.  
  
"We can't. Leave me," she whispered to him.  
  
Eriol looked at her, but she wouldn't stare at him again. _You cherished my name! How could you do this to me! _he wanted to shout to her._ You love me... you know you do..._ But he felt himself too choked with emotions to let himself foolishly release them in such a way. No. He must let go with a calmness, as to not lose her more than he already did. Defeated, he gradually got up, and walked out of her room. Before he left, he said, "We'll find Syaoran tomorrow. Good luck."  
  
Sitting there silently, Sakura felt her heavy eyelids slid over her view. Good luck? What in the world did he mean by that? Good luck in finding Syaoran? Good luck in forgetting all of this? Or just good luck in general? Instead of focusing on seeking an answer to those two words he had uttered, she allowed herself to be enveloped by the darkness, the tearing pain overwhelming her.  
  
_Quan..._  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Gyah... the moments make me happy. *squeals* What? Did you guys REALLY expect me to put them together THAT easily? Nooooo. That's not fun. *laughs* I'm so weird... Anyway, that was pretty sappy. Pretty romance-y, right? Then it reached the angst. Whoo! This story is fun to write... Review now, please! Tell me what you think! ^^\/ See you all next chapter._


	16. The True Salvation Part 1 Hidden

_Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me.  
  
Whee! ^^ Chapter sixteen is part one of the battle. Since it's a battle, not much romance-y, you see? Hehe. And for those who keep asking me why I don't much sappy crap, well... it's cuz me so bad at it. *winces* That, and there IS a second genre this fic is, and that's action/adventure. I've been trying to keep it so my story is accurate with what subjects I place it as. ^^\/ FUN!  
  
fire_blade: Eh... it wasn't fast enough of an update, was it? T_T  
  
Aore: Wheee! Someone who understands the fun part of taking my time to get the couple together. \^o^/ Aore, you're so cool.  
  
hOsHi HaNaZaKaRi: Yeah... Eriol's mainly the one who's suffering... Gyah, I'm so horrible. *cries*  
  
starlight princess: It's out! ^^ Not that anything's solved... (Oops. You're not supposed to know that right now!)  
  
Queen of the Storms: ... I really like your penname. That's so tight. Hehe. But where's the fun of having her understand things right away? *Grins* And remember, she came to this world searching for Syaoran, meaning she wasn't entirely looking at Eriol since the beginning, ne? ^_- Let's just torture her a bit more...  
  
RuByMoOn: I love those scenes, but I stink at making them. _ That's kinda why I do so few...  
  
liz: Awww... you read the rest of my fics on these two? THANK YOUUUU!! Hehe. I've been such a fan of them for over a year by now, encounting. They're a great couple to write about, yesh.  
  
0010: Oooooooo!! Roast marshmellows on the flames... *laughs* That's a great idea!! *grins* To tell you the truth, I love getting flames. Hehehe. It's so fun to hear some of these people shout at me, thinking they're actually getting through to me... *sighs in pity* If they only knew...  
  
Gigicerisier: O_O... wow... you're really angry at my fic's Sakura. Hahaha. Well, I like prolonging things, like getting the couple together. ^^ It's the fun part of my writing. Maybe that's why my fic is so long... *realization hits* Oh, man!!! T_T Next time, shorter fics.  
  
Kimmy and Lizzy: Quan and Kaniana are Eriol and Sakura's Names, the way they identify each other as having that bond and soul mate sort-of principle. ^^ (It's explained in chapter 11 by Dtarna. It's somewhere there...)  
  
Mindy: Awww... that's for all those compliments. *smiles* Umm... about the mailing list thing, I don't keep one anymore, b/c I realize how bad I was at updating and how ppl quickly lose interest in my fics. _ Wahhh...  
  
Moon Smurf: MOON SMURF!! *glomps her* hehe. Long time to talk, ne? O_O Thanks for the yelling comment, too... I guess... *laughs* Whee! Get back on internet soon, kay? ^^ Glad you enjoyed this chapter._  
  
**Chapter Sixteen: The True Salvation (Part 1 - Hidden)**  
  
_Night 33 - Shadow World_  
  
Syaoran eyed the working site, then averted them towards the palace silently, the sword in its full form as it was gripped within his hands tightly. He, Tgaeh, Yue, and Tomoyo were crouched behind a stone wall. Natir and Eurena were in their readied positions from wherever they were. When the signal would be given, they would rush for the palace, while the rest of the party who had joined with this plan will keep the soldiers distracted should any decide to chase after them.  
  
Tgaeh had left Sharhn with Brache, telling them to stay with thoes who were encouraging tonight's actions.  
  
_ "If you go, I'll never recognize you as my brother again!" Brache had cried to him. Tears were welling in his eyes, surprising Tgaeh to many depths.  
  
"What... Why? Why do you hate this so much, Brache? Why, when you never cared before? When Sharhn and I were the least of your secretive priorities?"  
  
"Because! If you do this, it'll just be like mother and father! You won't come back alive, you know," he said harshly. "You won't. You'll die just like that."  
  
Tgaeh sighed, shaking his head. "For a young boy as you... those are very horrific thoughts. I cannot allow this to go on any further, Brache, and you must understand this. Mother and father knew what they needed to do. They knew they had to take action, or we would never be able to come out of this. We would stay as slaves forever. They failed, but that does not mean we can't try again. Now, I need you to watch over Sharhn. She is young, and needs family there alongside with her-"  
  
"I hate you!! You don't get it, do you?! Do you want to leave me and Sharhn here, after mom and dad both died as well? You're not coming back, you know. You're not!"  
  
"That's some beautiful faith you have in me, brother." Tgaeh then turned around, and started to walk off, stopping just once. "Even if I DO die, it is for everybody here who wishes for freedom, and has dreamed of it for as long as they can remember. If I don't do it for them, then who will? If we don't start to take action, we'll always stay in this position. But, I WILL come back." With those words, he left.  
  
Hand clenched in fists on his sides, Brache shook his head. "You're not," he whispered in an uneven and rough voice. "You're not!"  
_  
It had not been the best way to part, but this was not the time for Tgaeh to concentrate on family arguments; he would save that for later. He silently fingered the metal dagger in his hand, watching it glitter unevenly with the stars in the night sky.  
  
The soldiers were surrounding the site, right on schedule. As they stood there for moments, something started to shimmer around the area, flowing and wavering to and fro. The illusion was being placed up, signaling that the process was starting. Tgaeh bit his bottom lip nervously and turned to look at Syaoran.  
  
The teenage boy shrugged his shoulders, eyes darting from the site to the castle constantly. "When will Eurena and Natir contact us?" he whispered in a low voice. "I'm getting a bit restless because this is making me more than just a little bit nervous." He frowned slightly, turning to check on the silent Yue and Tomoyo once in a while.  
  
"There is nothing we can do without the first word from the two of them. They are the only ones with connections to everything that occurs within the palace. Natir is also pretty trusted by his fellow workers, so he should not have any problems. And since the evil one Dtarna sent Eurena personally out to fetch you, there must be a level of trust for her as well. All in all, they are the ones that we have to listen to for now, because they know these rules better than we do."  
  
Syaoran nodded his head, sucking in a deep breath. Suddenly, they saw a flicker of light in one part of the castle, followed by two more just seconds apart. "That's the signal!" Syaoran said in a much louder voice. His grip tightened onto his sword, feeling his magic surge within his body and expand. Two scrolls were at his fingertips as he stood up, head turning to look at the others near him.  
  
"Let's go!" Tgaeh informed. "Order Red moves towards the right, Order Green keeps going forward. The rest of us will sneak in as planned. Remember! Don't _force _them away from our paths, because they'll suspect something. Let one or two of them come our way, but stop them before they _truly _notice anything. Now MOVE!" Tgaeh began to run, when he noticed Syaoran staring at him. The rest of the rebels had made their ways to their given actions. "What?"  
  
Syaoran shook his head. "It's nothing," he smiled. "Come on. We have a world to take back from the hands of a dictator." He looked at Tomoyo, Yue, and about four other people with their group. Tomoyo, for some peculiar reason, was holding onto a large bag, with Yue there guarding her. They were starting to get up, and he nodded his head. "Eurena and Natir are waiting for us," he told them. "It's time to get this over with."  
  
The rest of them nodded their head, and they retreated from the stone wall to dash towards the castle.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Night 33 - Shadow World_  
  
Sakura packed up her items into her bag as she glanced at Eriol in between. He was silent. Again. She raked her fingers through her hair, pulling onto a few strands nervously each time.  
  
"Sakura." The voice caused her to jump, and she guiltily saw that Eriol had noticed that as well. "I was about to tell you that we're departing now."  
  
"I-I know," she murmured, head bowed slightly to avert her eyes away from his saddened-yet still beautiful-face. "I know. Let's move on."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Night 33 - Shadow World_  
  
Quickly ridding the few guards by the opening to the palace, Syaoran's group continued up the long flight of stairs. Already, the could hear the commotion down below, the small uprising causing just enough of a distraction that they needed. Suddenly, Syaoran's eyes noticed about a dozen soldiers racing towards them from the left and behind. He stopped, and saw the rest of his group hesitate. "No!" he shouted to them. "Go on!! I'll be more than enough for them now." He grinned and nodded his head. Tgaeh responding with a thumbs-up, and gestured for the rest of them to continue on.  
  
Syaoran then turned to fully face the soldiers, holding onto his scrolls. "Oh... no, no, no, no..." he chuckled. "You had a HORRIFIC advantage over me before, but that is _over_!" He threw the first scroll in the air, chanting and ended with the word, "WIND!!!" A large breeze picked up in front of the descendant of Clow Reed, enveloping the soldiers in front of him as they all rolled down the stairs. He next turned to his left, noticing that one person was just about a few yards away. He ducked down when a spear swung towards him, then used the hilt of his sword to slam against the head of the bahrrn. The soldier immediately fainted, and Syaoran proceeded to use his second scroll.  
  
"EARTH!!!"  
  
The ground beneath the second group of bahrrns started to shake violently, and bits and pieces shot up like pillars. Syaoran's eyes widened at the effect. "Wow," he murmured. "I didn't know I could do that." Many of the struggling bahrrns decided to run for it, and the only ones who stayed were either fainted, or moments later decided to follow the fleeing soldiers. Syaoran then continued to run up the stairs, stopping by the tall doors. He stared around at the group of people. "Is everybody fine?" he questioned. Most nodded their head, so he turned to look at Tomoyo. "Tomoyo?"She smiled with confidence. "We're all ready."  
  
Tgaeh nodded his head. "Open the doors!" he shouted.  
  
The next moment, at the crack of an opening, Syaoran felt his breath rush out of his lungs. He gasped, falling to the ground. _The magic! I forgot how strong it was!!_ He shut his eyes, struggling to get back up onto his feet, a faint voice calling out to him. His mind felt as if pounds of lead were placed upon it, a burdensome torture consuming him.  
  
"Syaoran! SYAORAN!"  
  
His eyes shot open, and he turned to look around. There, in front of Syaoran was a hand. He grabbed it, and found himself eye-to-eye with Tgaeh. He whispered a quick thanks, wiping his brow even though there was no sight of sweat. "The others," Tgaeh told him grimly, "cannot face this sort of power." At those words, the two glanced around to see that practically everyone in their Order had fallen. "They've fainted, and I believe we should leave them here.""But Tomoyo-!" he started.  
  
"I'm... right here," the girl gasped aloud. She was standing next to Yue, whose wings have expanded out to slightly envelop the small female. "What... what is this place?! It's killing me to just stand on my feet..."  
  
Muttering a few curses, Syaoran brought out another scroll. "SHIELD!" he shouted, only to watch seconds later as his parchment exploded into tiny scraps. "We can't do anything to lessen the intensity. The only thing we've got is to just run in there for a confrontation."  
  
"Would it not, though, be a better idea to fight in an environment to our advantage? Not hers?" Yue asked.  
  
"In a way, we do not have a choice," Tgaeh told him. "She is now expecting us, and we will never get a second chance at this. I say we go in to face it head-on! This is what it's about: fighting against them in their own territory. If we win... we would have shown them just how much we are against this, how our strength has overcome this world. If we defeat Dtarna, then that is all that we'll ever need." He stopped for a second, and gave them a long smile. "Then my brother and sister will live easier. They'll have a good life, and so will I. We have to do this. We have to do this NOW."  
  
Syaoran nodded his head. "I agree. Come on, Yue, Tomoyo," he whispered. "It's time to go home."  
  
Tomoyo turned to look at her friend, and then at the winged man who sheltered her slightly from the impact of the magic. "Yes, Yue," she agreed. "Let's go fight. I may not be able to do anything, but I do believe that we need to do this now. It's sad to see how tortured these humans are..."  
  
Sighing softly, the guardian of the Card Captor nodded his head. "Very well. Move forward, friend of Clow Reed's descendant. I can argue about this no further."  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Night 33 - Shadow World_  
  
They entered the palace and walked right through the center of the first floor. Immediately, the four of them noticed that Eurena and Natir had taken care of most of the people there, with a lot of the workers laying on the ground, unconscious. Syaoran breathed a sigh of relief. At least they had less to worry about at this current moment.  
  
"They are over there," Tgaeh pointed at the top of the end of a staircase, and the four of them rushed ahead.  
  
"We must hurry," Eurena shouted to them, and turned around to begin to lead the way. "This way-"  
  
"No need for that, I do believe," a new voice entered. Syaoran's eyes darted towards the left of the end of the hallway by the staircase, and sucked in a deep breath. He held his sword in his hands warily, clenching it until his knuckles turned white. Standing there with confidence clearly marked upon her face, was Dtarna. She was not wearing the most elaborate and exquisite clothing as before, but instead just a simple pale shirt and dress. In her hands, she held a smooth staff. The top had a large sphere and vine-like pieces snaked down until they reached the end of the staff. "Because you took so long to come see me, I decided to take the action into my own hands," she smirked.  
  
"You're going down!" Syaoran shouted.  
  
Suddenly, she turned to look at the four who entered the palace, and waved her staff straight towards them. A large gust of magic shot out and they flew off the stairs, back down towards the first floor. Yue held Tomoyo in his arms, and his wings broke his fall just inches before they made impact with the ground. Syaoran and Tgaeh, on the other hand, felt the full collision as they crashed.  
  
Dtarna then turned to gaze at Natir and Eurena. The bahrrn had cautiously moved to stand in front of his wife. "I thought you knew better than that, Eurean, Natir," she murmured, eyes turned to slits. "You have been here almost right after you were born, and followed me up until now. How can you betray me in such a way?! Especially with such a group who has lost to me before! This people cannot win against me, Eurena. Come back to me, and I will possibly overlook the sins you have made in these last few weeks." When she noticed that the rest of them were attempting to move once more, she threw another blast of magic at them.  
  
Quietly, Eurena moved past Natir to face the one leader she had always followed her entire life. Then, she got down on one knee and bowed her head down. "Leader Dtarna..." she began. "It is true that you have known me ever since I could remember. I have done everything that you asked me to do, including going to Earth to fetch the young man. I have watched as others suffer and we live our lives to the fullest. Natir has also been loyal to you and done as you had wished for him to. All this is true."  
  
Dtarna smiled at those words.  
  
"But..." Eurena continued, turning her head to look up. "I can do this no longer, master. Have you seen your people cry? Have you seen them pray each and every night? Have you seen how you attempted to tear apart that boy from Earth from his love? Have you seen the determination of many who wish to see you fall? Have you see how many spirits you broke? The people in Lyrra are not happy, master! You cannot allow the world to continue on like this!" She then stood up and took Natir's hand into her own. "I am sorry, but I _will _fight you. I have been feeling this uneasiness for years already, because I do not believe in the evil that you will continue to do upon this world. And besides that, you remember the prophecy?" she murmured. "_Eons past before our savior comes. But when thee does, justice be done._ The time has come, master. You _will _step down."  
  
Dtarna's eyes flashed in anger, her body shaking with unspoken emotions. "You..." she growled. "Eurena, how DARE you truly go against me and speak of such foolishness! That passage was made long after I held rule over the Shadow World! You have no right-"  
  
"You KILLED Laok and Trikilne!!! I was _there_, master! And you," she choked, "you... _killed _them!"  
  
"Laok... and Trikilne?!" Tgaeh shouted from below. "How... how!"  
  
Dtarna jerked her head to look down at them. "You stay out of this, little one. You know NOTHING."  
Memories disappear as thee enters our world  
New thoughts replace and all unfurl  
  
Tgaeh ignored the threat, and ran back up towards where the three people were, ignoring how the strong magic was trying to strain him down. Dtarna attempted to throw another attack at him, but this time, as if an obsession possessed him to move forward, he held his place, falling to his knees. Yet seconds afterwards, he moved again. When she attacked once more, another person entered, standing in front of Tgaeh.  
  
"S... Syaoran!" he gasped.  
  
Wincing, the teenager attempted to throw up another shield. "Keep going, Tgaeh! Yue and I will try to keep her magic distracted." He then took out a second scroll once the shield had shattered again. "Lightning!!!" he shouted, and was surprised at how the magic had almost hit Dtarna this time. She turned to stare at him.  
  
"You!" Sighing, she shook her head. "I do believe that I have realized what an _annoyance _you are!"  
  
"Hey, you wanted me in the first place!" he shouted back.  
  
"Yes... why do you want him of all the people in the world-" Eurena began to ask, when Tgaeh zoomed past her. He grabbed Dtarna by the collar and shoved her against a wall.  
  
"Tell me! Why do you know Laok and Trikilne specifically?!" he demanded. "You killed that entire movement without a second thought, bitch! How would you know them specifically?!"  
  
"What does it matter to you?" she gasped, struggling against his strong hold on her. She began to move her staff once more, but he jerked it out of her hands and threw it down the stairs.  
  
"They were my mother and father!" he screamed.  
  
Eurena's eyes widened at those words, staggering. Dtarna also became speechless. "You..." she whispered. Then, finally realizing the position she was in, Dtarna threw magic once more at him, and he backed away. "You... are the child of Laok and Trikilne?" she asked, and then laughed. "Oh, they fooled you well, little one. They fooled. You. Well."  
  
  
  


_Parents knew but spoke no words  
For fear of death, and of the hurt_  


  
  
  
The group began once more to attack her, but she just shook her head and held a hand up, as if to stop them. "Okay, okay," she chuckled. "Let us stop fighting for a moment, and allow for me to tell you a tale." When Syaoran held his sword up, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop it!" she said, exasperated. "I have nothing that I need to do with you, anymore. I can just kill you with one hit, but I have decided, instead, to explain a few more things to you. Do you _truly _wish for me not?"  
  
Silently, Syaoran slowly walked to Tgaeh, and stopped, his eyes never leaving the woman.  
  
Dtarna walked over to the railing of the second floor, and stared down below at her staff. The next second, it reappeared at her hand. "You all keep saying that I defile this world. That I am the devil of the civilization in Shadow World. But you want to know something? You want to hear something that will probably cause even more surprise?  
  
"If it were not for me, then there would not even BE civilization in the Shadow World," she smirked. Next, a small beam appeared from the tip of the staff and shone on the ground. From there, a large throne-like chair appeared, and she sat down casually.  
  
"Liar!" Tgaeh shouted, starting to move forward before Syaoran jerked at his arm to call him back. "You are a liar!"  
  
"Before time, before anybody realized it, there was me. I had powers that humans such as you would never understand. That was millenniums ago. I started on Earth, in a primitive world where magic was one everywhere. Yes, this was on Earth, the planet where if one has magic now, the majority would not be able to comprehend such a thing. Though it was abundant during my time, I grew bored of the planet. What excitement could there be for me?  
  
"I wanted to leave Earth, and find a world which I can call my own. A world which I can live in and have people worship me. During this time, I found the portals which led to other dimensions, and took my time to discover its secrets, to learn how to control a pathway towards a specific place. Later on, a handful of others followed me as we entered another world. This place: a world of its own that parallels that of Earth. Beautiful. It used to be known as _Hantshi Firn_, a phrase that means 'Paradise Life'. Now it is _Hakgon_. Shadow World."  
  
  
  


_Thee who comes has lost thou past  
Magic hidden, will be cast_  


  
  
  
"The reason that this world is so full of humans is because some were able to escape me as my powers were trying to used to this world. They realized how I wanted slaves. How I wanted eternal workers. How I needed power, and needed a lot of it. There were able to escape me in about five hundred years' worth of time, and created cities of their own.  
  
"Your parents, little one, were followers of mine," Dtarna concluded. "They left me, but came back about two hundred years ago. The magic we have help preserve our life, and they looked just as they did when I killed them. You believe your are only a teenager? Think again."  
  
Tgaeh's eyes widened at those words, hands clenched into fists. "That... can't be..."  
  
"Of course, I wouldn't let them join my side again for what they have done, so they became workers of mine. Their magic had diminished, and they worked in the sun as you have. You are nothing, just as Laok and Trikilne are, were, nothing. The most likely thing they did was erase everything that you've ever known. Of course, when there was that uprising, they jumped at the opportunity to take me down. Idiotic fools. They gained a sense of morality that I stomped on quickly-"  
  
"YOU LIAR!!!" Tgaeh shouted, running up to her, bringing out a dagger to attack her with.  
  
  
  


_Forever drops of freedom rain  
Through all of Lyrra, prison drained_  


  
  
  
"She's not lying..." Syaoran whispered. "She's not lying at all!! Tgaeh!!" He rushed up to the attacking boy, but before he could do anything, Dtarna had gotten up from her chair, and moved to block with her staff at where Tgaeh had strike down. She responded by shoving her staff forward, yet he dodged sharply towards his left.  
  
Yue flew up towards the ceiling of the palace, and shot his hand down with the icicles aimed straight towards Dtarna. She quickly lifted up a shield, causing Tgaeh and Syaoran to fly back. Eurena cringed as she brought out a small knife, but Natir stopped her in her tracks. Tgaeh was already struggling to get up, and he rushed forward once more.  
  
Before he could touch the shield, Syaoran got in front of him and shoved his sword down into Dtarna's guard. Beams of lightning shot out at the reaction of the movement, and Dtarna held her hands up to protect herself. Syaoran cringed at the strength of the power, but held his sword there anyway. Slowly, he turned to look at Tgaeh, and smirked. "I told you," he shouted over the noise that was occurring, "that you got the prophecy wrong!"  
  
Tgaeh narrowed his eyes in question. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I'm not the one that they're talking about in the prophecy. At least, not that one you're thinking about." The shield shattered, dispersing to leave Dtarna without any other protection. With that, Syaoran ran forward and brought his sword down at the ruler of this world. She exchanged blows with him with her staff, but jumped back to move away from Syaoran. Yue shot down once more, and she held a hand out towards him, shooting a dark electrical energy towards him. Yue evaded the attack, but the aftershock caused him to slow down in his speed. At that moment, she changed her staff into a sword, and smirked. Her head was tilted slightly, as if to invite for them all to come at her again.  
  
"I do not understand, Syaoran!" Tgaeh yelled to him.  
  
Finally, Syaoran turned around. "Fine," he said. "I'll give you one clue. I'm not the one the prophecy speaks of as the hero. I'm the _wizard watch_. Make a guess as to who the wizard is watching over at this time."  
  
  
  


_Thee brings with thou a wizard watch  
Followers approach, for all shall march_  


  
  
  
Tgaeh's eyes widened at those words, as well did many others, including Dtarna. "WHAT?!" she screeched, moving forward. Syaoran moved to stand in front of Tgaeh as she did. "Are you telling me that I have been going after the wrong person all this time?!"  
  
Syaoran shook his head, a smile still playing on his face. He still held his sword out towards her, in case she was going to do anything. "No... I'm just saying that this prophecy might not actually be happening if you didn't try to bring me here to kill me in the first place. _You're _the one that gave him a wizard to watch over him."  
  
With each word that came out of his mouth, Dtarna's expression grew even more shocked. At the temporary moment of her stupor, Tgaeh dashed past Syaoran.  
  
"Wait! Tgaeh!" he protested.  
  
He quickly kicked the sword of her grasp and listened as it clattered down the hallway. Dtarna screamed, hatred in the tone of her voice. She turned to glare at him as he suddenly had his dagger pointed straight towards her throat, the tip just a few millimeters away. Tgaeh was slightly taller than Dtarna, and his eyes bored into her. His lips moved up into a triumphant smile, when she threw her arms at him. The dark energy pushed Tgaeh back once more towards the stairway, and she motioned the sword back into her hands.  
  
Tgaeh struggled to keep his feet stable on the ground, and watched as she advanced towards him, shield placed up. Syaoran attempted to penetrate it once more, but the aftershock blew him back. Natir threw a knife straight towards it, but it clattered to the ground, having no affect.  
  
Dtarna grinned, a wild expression upon her face. "So you're the one that's supposed to bring everybody in Lyrra to freedom, eh?" she whispered. "Let's see you try to do that in hell!!" With those words, she swung her sword towards Tgaeh, happily watching as a bright ball of power flew towards him.  
  
  
  


_Eons past before our savior comes  
But when thee does, justice be done...  
  
  
  
_*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_ There will be ONE moment in the next chapter to make up for this one. Actually, the one in the next chapter isn't all that great, either. (Spoiler: Eriol gets hurt. *laughs head off*) I'm having quite a difficult time here trying to find a way to end the story. Just two chapters left!! Give me inspiration, people!! *hugs certain devoted readers happily* I'm trying to get through writer's block for you guys, mainly. *smiles* Actually... I don't know who my devoted readers are, except for those who continuously review... =( Well, thank you, invisible devoted readers, too!!! ^^ *glomps them as well* Review now?_


	17. The True Salvation Part 2 Future Given

_ Sorry it took so long. I went on a road trip for two weeks, and then left again for a few days. @_@ Totally hectic. And I said I'd have two chapters up for this month, too... Well, I will. ^^ The next one will come out next week. If not... then I just fully guarantee that it will come out before this month ends. I WILL keep my promise. (... I hope. *cries*)  
  
fire_blade: Wooow. ^^ Over and over again? Hee! I feel special!  
  
W.Kathy: E+S is great stuff, man! I wish I had discovered my love for this couple sooner. Hehe. S+YY is good, too!  
  
Kos-Mos: Hehe. The romance genre came after the action/adventure genre. I love putting plots and working on them instead of focusing on the couple all of the time. For me, a gradual thing is what I'm best at writing. But yesh!! XD E+S moments will happen!  
  
Kimmy & Lizzy: Hahahahaha. I tend to find myself do that, too, if I review for every chapter on a fic I like. You guys are great! ^^\/  
  
Aore: Angst = fun is one of my philosophies!! Yesh... only two more chapters left. I've worked on this fic for over a year, and it's finally coming to an end. *sighs* Thanks for your inspiration! *grins and glomps Aore* I was never meant to be a cheerleader, either, nor will I ever consider attempting to try. Hehe.  
  
poppy: It will end w/ E+S. I'm too cowardly to do a sad-ending for this story by now. T_T  
  
Mindy: *nods head* Poor Eriol. But making it sad is kinda... the fun part! Yeahhhh~~!!! Whoo!!! *jumps up and down*  
  
TrAiToR-149: From what I've heard now, NOBODY can see Tomoyo and Syaoran together. *laughs head off* That's about the most common complaint I get about this fic. That... and the lack of updating. Bleh... Well, when I read the manga and watched a bit of the anime, it seemed as if Tomoyo could read Syaoran better than Sakura could ever have even tried. She knew what he was going through and when he began to develop feelings for Sakura, so it seemed that she knew how to understand his emotions. My point of this fic is just E+S. Everything else... is everything else. ^____^  
  
Lil Moon Witch: I'm sorry it took so long to update. T_T But a longtime reader?! \^o^/ You're WONDERFUL!  
  
TiarellaCordifolia: I am... a dedicated **SLOW** author to my dedicated readers. But I love my dedicated readers. *smiles sweetly* Does that make up for it? *grins*  
  
FireKitsune: I've updated! Was that chapter nice? Really? Awwwww... Thank you!  
  
christyvo: Good writer? *embarrassed* I know so many others who are better than me... You're so nice!  
  
Kousagi-chan: I've updated! I've updated! Please read! Pretty please! ^^  
  
Lunargirl018: ... oops. An S+S fan entered. WAHH!!! T_T Poor you! (No wonder you didn't review after chapter one... *laughs*)  
  
starlight princess: O_O It's out! It's out! Hehehe. Hope you like this one as much as you liked the previous one.  
  
Calle: Hehe. I actually took up some of your advice. ^^ It'll work out great, since soooo many people don't care much for Syaoran/Tomoyo. After all this time, I STILL don't understand him when it comes to making an alternative couple. *laughs head off* Why Syaoran/Meiling but not Syaoran/Tomoyo? Drkdemon is quite confuuuuuuuused. (I love dragging out the 'uuuu' in that word. Whee!) I adore long reviews. Reading yours was fun and DID help! *thumbs up* Good job!  
  
Moon Smurf: YOU ARE BACK! I've missed you! Talk to me right when you get a chance, you hear?! At least it leaves you with loads of fanfics to read. ^^ Think about all the ones that got updated! (Unless it's one of those that update once a year... how cruel!! T_T) Eriol, unfortunately, WILL be hurt. (NOOOO~~~!!!!!)  
  
Shy-Lil-Dreamer: *gasp* I'd NEVER forget about this fic! (It's the only one I'm working on these days... *hides in embarrassment*) It just... takes me a while to get the next chapter out, that's all. Hee!  
  
(If I missed anybody... I'M SORRY!!! I DIDN'T MEAN TO!!)  
_  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
**Chapter Seventeen: The True Salvation (Part 2 - Future Given)**  
  
_Night 33 - Shadow World_  
  
_ Dtarna grinned, a wild expression upon her face. "So you're the one that's supposed to bring everybody in Lyrra to freedom, eh?" she whispered. "Let's see you try to do that in hell!!" With those words, she swung her sword towards Tgaeh, happily watching as a bright ball of power flew towards him._  
  
The next moment, a circular, pale wall surrounded Tgaeh and the black energy neutralized itself into nothing. The boy blinked, confused at the idea that he was still alive to consider what had just happened. He looked down at his hands, then back up again, when a new voice entered the scene.  
  
"I do believe that we have finally reached out destination." All those who stood at the current moment turned their heads to glance at the newcomers. There, standing right at the opposite end of the large room, was Eriol and Sakura, both in casual wear. He held his transformed staff in his hand, obviously having used his own magic to protect Tgaeh from the blast. Sakura was a few feet behind him, eyes wide at the sight of her friends once more.  
  
_Sakura_... Syaoran whispered within his mind. He wanted to reach out for her, to grasp her familiar hands in his own to comprehend that she was truly there. He began to take a step towards her.  
  
"Eriol! Sakura!" Tomoyo cried happily, running from Yue's protection to her friends. She was about to reach them when Eriol's eyes widened and swung his staff in a circular movement above his head. Immediately, Tomoyo's body lifted in the air as a power source shot past her and hit the wall. Slowly, Eriol then lowered her to the ground in front of them. The rest of them had begun to attack Dtarna once more.  
  
Sakura gathered her friend into her arms. "Oh, Tomoyo," she breathed happily. "It feels like an eternity since I last saw you and Yue and everybody else! I've missed you all so much."  
  
Tomoyo herself was smiling, glancing for a second at Eriol before her attention moved back to her dearest and oldest friend. She released Sakura moments later, knowing they had little time to waste, fishing in her pockets for what she knew Sakura needed at the moment. Finally, she shoved the items into Sakura's hands, which consisted of the cards and her key. "I know that you've really been missing these."  
  
Grinning, Sakura mumbled the words she needed, and cried out "Release!" as her final word. The key changed into her staff with wings on the sides of a circle with a star in the middle. The feel of her magic back within her grasp gave Sakura a feeling like no other. The power that surged back through her, the familiar emotion of connection with her cards, all that came flowing back into her like a lost memory. She watched as her cards almost glowed with a liking to be back within her grasp. After that, Sakura nodded her head to thank Tomoyo and ran into the battle. The dark-haired girl then turned to look at Eriol, who gave her a tight smile, before he left as well.  
  
_Eriol... he doesn't look at Sakura the same way as before, _Tomoyo realized_. What happened between the two of them? There's a tense barrier encircling them both._  
  
"AHH!!!" Natir shouted, clutching his arm in pain as it bled freely from a deep gnash that Dtarna made. Instead of releasing magic from her weapon, she used it to cause a physical wound. He backed away from the battle, Eurena following to tend to her loved one.  
  
"How is it?" she asked, concern showing in her face clearly. "Can you move it?"  
  
He shook his head. "Do not watch over me. Take care of Dtarna first."  
  
Eurena's lips moved to a tight line. "The rest are here to take care of the job. You come first, now and always."  
  
Sakura swiftly took a card out, calling for her own magic to appear. "Fire!" she shouted. The next moment, a ember-colored spirit shot from the card, running straight towards the fight at the top of the stairway. Yue, Tgaeh, and Syaoran moved out of the way as it expanded its element to attack Dtarna.  
  
She responded with a defensive spell, then summoned her own power again to counter against the fire. Just as the card was debilitating, Sakura took out both Windy and Water. She was about to summon, when Eriol grabbed her arm to stop her movements. Syaoran saw what was happening, and rushed down to the two of them at the end of the stairway, allowing Yue and Tgaeh to take over once Fire will disappear.  
  
"You should not waste energy so quickly, Sakura," Eriol told her. "Doing two cards at once - the two powerful _element _cards at once - will take away much of your stamina."  
  
She glared at him, jerking her arm away. "Don't tell me what NOT to do, Eriol. I'll be just fine with my own decisions." Yet as she said those words, Sakura slipped the two cards back into her pile, deciding on another card.  
  
"Sakura!" Looking up, she saw Syaoran running towards her. She almost dropped her items, seeing his face looking at her with unhidden apprehension. "Sakura, you're here!" He wrapped his arms around her as she took in his recognizable scent. It had been weeks since she saw him, and now she realized how much her heart had ached for him. Eriol watched the two, attempting to hide the pain that began to surge inside of him.  
  
"Syaoran, we can exchange words later. Right now, we need to take care of this situation."  
  
He nodded his head. "Eriol and I will continue to fight up there with Tgaeh and Yue. You stay here and try to throw up whatever you can at her, okay?"  
  
She started to protest, when Syaoran interrupted her once more. "We need you more for fire power than to have you physically up there with the rest of us. Take care of it! I trust you will." With those words, he ran back up the stairway with Eriol slowly following behind.  
  
Suddenly, Eriol turned to give Sakura one last glance. "You," he whispered, "will always be a part of me. Your Name is yours." He then lowered his eyes and turned back around, mouthing the words _I love you_, more to himself than to her. Eriol then ran up to confront the lady who he held questions for.  
  
Sakura wearily stared at the back of Eriol, speechless once more from what he had said. When she glanced back up, she realized that Yue had fallen, injured. _He can barely take another hit_, she cried to herself, seeing her guardian in such a condition. _I need to make sure the others can keep her occupied so that Yue can rest._ Her fire card had returned to its sleeping form a long while ago. Sakura began to shuffle through her cards, and fished out one she considered to look helpful. "Power! Lend your strength to Syaoran! Release!"  
  
The next punch that Syaoran let loose on Dtarna sent her flying back against the wall. Staring at his hand in disbelief, he turn to give Sakura a thankful smile. Dtarna fell to the ground, the wall behind her now decorated with a large crack from where she made contact with it. Before Tgaeh, Syaoran, or Eriol could advance closer to her, she swung her sword across the air, giving her time to get back up. She then sent out another blast of magic.  
  
"Shield! Release!" Sakura screamed, able to protect both Tgaeh and Syaoran as Eriol conjured up his own.  
  
This sort of attack went back and forth for the next few hours, and Sakura could feel the prolonging minutes work their exhaustion on her energy. Over and over again she had used her cards. Dash. Water. Sword. Jump. Fly. Anything that came up as a good use when the moment came. She began to notice that her shield's power was becoming more delicate with each time she conjured it up. Yue had truly fallen, with Tomoyo tending to him. The soldier she did not know was also placed near them as a woman watched over him. The only ones left were Syaoran, Tgaeh, and Eriol against Dtarna. Yet even then, Sakura could see that Syaoran was almost at the end of his rope of endurance.  
  
"P-p-power!" Sakura managed to get out before she suddenly felt her feet give way beneath her. In shock, she attempted to get up, but found it as hard of a struggle as keeping her staff in its current form. When Dtarna noticed the chance in attacking the open Sakura, she immediately took advantage of that. She gathered her energy together and threw her hand out towards the fallen girl. As it inched closer and closer to her with each half-second that passed, Sakura could only watch. Her staff dropped to the ground, feeling herself give up and accept the attack.  
  
Before the intervention.  
  
"No! _Sakura!_" Eriol cried, leaping down the stairs to cut off the magic and Sakura. In midair, he felt the putrid energy stab into his physical body, attacking his limbs as the cackling power ate at him. He shut his eyes tightly closed and screamed in agonizing pain. Flinching and cringing, he fell down to the floor, collapsing.  
  
_Eriol... Eriol..._ A flashback of what had occurred before began to run through Sakura's mind. _The blood squirting out... His body falling... The arrow piercing through his flesh and clothes..._  
  
_"S... Sakura..."  
  
"He is not dead. Now come. Let us go."  
  
The touch of his blood upon her hands. The pain that tore within her at the thought of him being dead, dying... The way the smell lingered on her hands as she was carried off. The rain pouring down, drenching his fallen figure. Her desperate and broken screams for him as he never reacted to her words while she was forced to leave him behind...  
  
No... I can't... Eriol. Eriol!_ "_ERIOL!!!!_" Sakura shrieked, running towards his unmoving body. She felt herself inside wrench in pain at the sight of him. Kneeling down in front of her, Sakura jerked her head up to glare at Dtarna, eyes beginning to overflow with heated tears. Teeth clenched, she reached back for her staff and held onto it so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white. Sakura automatically drew out a card, not even looking to see if she was correct or not in getting what she wanted. "FIRE!!!" she screamed, releasing the magic to shoot straight out towards Dtarna.  
  
Dtarna immediately raised up a shield as she battled against the element. Yet, unlike the previous time when their fight was short-timed, this one lasted longer. Suddenly, her shield broke as Fire surrounded her. She could feel her skin burning, raw injuries forming as she recoiled from the heat. Dtarna feebly placed up another shield, then transferred herself out of the ball of fire as quickly as she could.  
  
"You're NOT getting away!" Sakura shouted as she stood up, anger still burning within over what had happened to Eriol. Yet still, she recalled Fire. "NOBODY does that to him and gets away with it!" She took out another card once more without looking and threw it into the air with the incantation. "SNOW! RELEASE!"  
  
Large icicles began to form in the air, attacking the woman relentlessly. "Ugh!" Dtarna growled, glaring at the angry teenager at the bottom of the stairs. Even then, while she was dodging the power, she had to smirk. _It seems that anger does inflame the beast within you to arise, child. It inflames and eats at your energy. Something tells me that this will not last as long as you think it will, and I will NOT fall as quickly as you intend for me to._  
  
"WATER! WIND! RELEASE!" The unexpected attack by two element cards at the same time broke through to Dtarna. She fell back, the weak barrier she conjured at the very last minute lasting only temporarily. Sakura's eyes blazed in anger, shocking both Tgaeh and Syaoran to just stand there and watch as the female took her ire out on the ruler of Lyrra.  
  
_Sakura_... Syaoran thought, marveling at her immense force. _I've never seen her fight like this before, especially with her compassion towards anybody, even to her enemy. How... How can the attack on Eriol cause something like this to occur?! What is happening?_  
  
"AHHH!!!" Dtarna shrieked in pain when the two elements ran through the barrier and sliced an injury onto her upper right arm. She clutched onto the bleeding wound, hissing through her clenched teeth. Just when the magic began to attack her again, Dtarna felt pure fear finally enter through her body and expand. She took in a quavering breath, then screamed out one word, something that she did not comprehend at all. "HAETH!!!"  
  
The name snapped straight into Tgaeh's mind as he jerked his head to stare at the leader of Lyrra in shock and utter confusion, when something entered his mind as well. His breath became irregular in its intervals and he fell to his knees.  
  
"Tgaeh?!" Syaoran asked, concern in his voice.  
  
Tgaeh clutched his head with one hand, eyes wide. He was suffocating in the realization, suddenly understand what had just occurred seconds ago. Finally, the Name ran true through his veins. _Fiaun... Fiaun. That is her Name._  
  
She heard the mere whisper of it in someone's mind, bringing her back up to the surface to continue fighting. _Who?!_ she wondered in amazement in her mind as she drew up a shield to give her time to stand back up. Dtarna, using her left hand, brought the sword up to parry against the elements as she got up to get a better stance. Already, her thoughts turned back to Sakura. _An... unexpected turn, even I must admit. The capability to fight with such vigor and hate... that boy. He means much to her. _Dtarna felt one side of her lips pull up to smile against the pain_. I should have just killed him right then and there._  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Night 33 - Shadow World_  
  
Suddenly, through all the attacks that Sakura was making, a familiar voice began to wake. "_S... Sakura_..."  
  
The voice tore through Sakura's anger, cooling it to the point where she could acknowledge the voice. Then again, this was not exactly the first time he had been able to do so. She still remembered when his voice comforted her through her sleep after he brought her out of the caves. This time, though, the tone was ragged, forced out through with the usage of quite a bit of strength. She turned her head sharply down to stare at him. _Eriol_... she whispered within her mind.  
  
He began to reach a hand up to her, when he stopped and laid it back on the ground next to him, defeated. "Sakura... stop this," he murmured. "I can practically see your aura seep out from your body."  
  
She hastily wiped away whatever tears she could with her sleeve, sniffing. Then, she gave him the only excuse she could come up with at the moment. "She hurt you," Sakura said softly, though enraged emotions dripped from all three words. "I'm sick of seeing people... hurt you." She was amazed at the amount of passion she felt at the current moment.  
  
Eriol was about to say more, when his eyes closed and he laid his head back down, unconscious once more. Seeing that happen, Sakura shook her head in grief as she watched his body sleep. He was still alive, thank God, but... those words he said to her at first took the entire fighting spirit out of her. Sakura was confused, helpless, and wanted her questions answered. She wanted to know what she really thought at the current moment, kneeling by Eriol's side, barely remembering Syaoran. Yet when he flickered in her mind, she was brought back to what her current relationship status is.  
  
_Syaoran... I love him._ Sakura kept telling herself. _I love him. I love Syaoran. We're going to get married when we grow up. We'll have children. We'll be with each other forever. Nothing can change that. Nothing can change that. Nothing can-_  
  
Sakura's Water and Wind card suddenly gave a shriek of defeat, waking her back to the physical world once more, one that was in need of her assistance. Syaoran was knocked against a wall, struggling to get up. His friend was shouting some sort of warning towards her.  
  
Yet it was too late.  
  
Dtarna was dashing quickly towards the Card Captor, just a few feet away from her, sword in view as it was about to come down to announce her death. It began to take its path down towards Sakura, when somebody else got in the way of Dtarna's strike. There stood Tgaeh, sword straight through his chest, his heart, immediately beginning to eat his life away. "Fi... aun..." he whispered, falling to the ground.  
  
Her hands went up towards her mouth in shock at the revelation that appeared. _Fiaun... my Name. He discovered my NAME! _Suddenly, she realized what he was, this son of her friend from lifetimes ago. This young boy... who dared to rebel against her with others. He feared no death, yet it came searching for him anyway. Shaking with fear, Dtarna knelt down beside him. His burning face consumed her mind, taking her over as she could see the blood overflowing in his mouth and running down his chin. She took one of his hands into her own unstable one. "You... you..."  
  
He smiled up at her. "Take... the sword..."  
  
Her eyes darted from his to the sword, and back again. Closing her eyes, she wrapped her fingers around the hilt, then pulled it out without blinking, hearing his tearing cry of pain reverberate in her ears. Finally, she felt the tears come. Tears from the pain of discovering something after it has been too late. Tears of centuries of frustration and centuries of being alone. "You are the one," she whispered. "The one whose Name I should have searched for in the beginning. Instead, I slay you. I kill the one who I am destined for. Oh, dear Gods," she whimpered.  
  
Tgaeh was breathing heavily, sweating from the force he was using to keep himself alive for these last few minutes. "Our punish... ment... I suppose," he whispered. "Mine... for taking... so long... to react. Yours... for your... doings. We... cannot be. At least... no in this... lifetime."  
  
Dtarna bent down to give him a small kiss on his forehead. "My one... My dearest... My _Haeth_."  
  
His expression turned to one of cynical laughter. "Yours? Yes... I suppose so..." he choked out a small laugh before his eyes gradually closed, body then going limp. It was now when Tgaeh was gone from the physical world.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
She stared at the sword next to her, next to the dead body. So this was how easily this sorceress could be broken. This was how she now fell. _Haeth... Haeth... Haeth... Haeth..._ she cried in her mind, moving her lips to repeat his name without sound as time passed by.  
  
Sakura, still angry at the death she saw in front of her, brought another card out from her deck. She was about to call the magic out when somebody shouted to her. "Sakura! STOP!" Looking up, she saw Syaoran running down to her, his face filled with grief and anguish. "Please, Sakura... we've had enough killing for one day," he said, voice cracking as he took her hand into his own. "Tgaeh is dead. Her _soul mate_ is dead. Let her be. We defeated Dtarna."  
  
Looking into his tear-filled eyes, Sakura shook her head. "No. No..." she said. "He saved me. He saved me... and now... I have to. I have..." She found herself at a loss for words.  
  
Syaoran took her into his arms, clutching her tight against him. "She lost her soul mate... she lost him. All she now contains is his Name. What sort of gift is _that?!_" he murmured, the bleak expression on his face telling all of how he suffered from this as well. Yue and Tomoyo finally walked closer to them. Eurena was helping Natir down the stairs slowly.  
  
_To lose the one whose Name you know... brings such a tear within the soul_, Sakura realized, staring past Syaoran's shoulder down to Dtarna. _Tgaeh was his name, wasn't it? He... this is what he meant to her, and she never realized it until it was too late. Too... late... No. I can't accept that. What I have now is all I need. I'll be safe. I won't be hurt. What I have now has been the best for the past years... it should have no negative effect on me._ With that thought, she clung to Syaoran as he held her. Sakura shut her eyes in the fear within her, the doubt she felt about all she knew before she entered this world. Before all of this occurred. "Don't let go of me, Syaoran," she whimpered. "Please, don't let go of me."  
  
Suddenly, there was a clattering behind Syaoran, bringing them all back up to the surface. Dtarna was crying once again, but this time, Eriol was awake. The sword was clenched in his hands, causing it to bleed profusely. He was breathing hard as he turned to look at her. "You cannot take your own life. Not when you have so much to repent for, to make right. That is especially true for what you need to do for the people you ruled over for so long."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened at the sight. "You tried to commit suicide?! Idiot!" she shouted, being restrained by Syaoran. "You don't take the easy way out! This only helps you, not those who you've tortured for so long!"  
  
Eurena picked Dtarna up, rubbing her back. "I'm sorry, master... Dtarna. This is it."  
  
Eriol then felt a soft hand touch his own. He looked up to see Tomoyo kneeling down next to him. She slowly moved his hand open and took the sword out. Eriol winced at the pain he felt, attempting to not scream when she began to move his hand. "Thank you... Tomoyo."  
  
She glanced into Eriol's unreadable eyes. "Will you be fine for now?" she asked him in a soft voice.  
  
He nodded his head and gave her a warm smile, one that made Sakura's inside churn, to her surprise. "I'll be fine for now." Watching Eriol, Syaoran turned to stroke Sakura's head absentmindedly.  
  
Tomoyo then turned to look at Dtarna. "Your rule is over," she whispered.  
  
Dtarna, the _Efhnir_, the slave runner, was defeated.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_ Whew! Finished that up. ^_____^ One more chapter left! Please comment, b/c I don't do replies to those given to my last chapter, since there won't be a new chapter for me to reply back to you guys on. Hehe. You get it? And I love replying back to your comments! Thanks to everybody to reviewed before. ^___^ I got loads to read. Stay for the VERY last installment on this fic! (I've enjoyed this one so much... *sighs happily*) See ya!_


	18. The Names Which Hold Together

_ This is the last chapter of the fic. I feel... complete. ^^ Just like the fic, I guess. Hehe. I hope you enjoy this last chapter. And if you don't... well... XP!!  
  
Disclaimer: The series Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me.  
  
liz: Hee! I'm definitely not ending my E/S fics after this one. I'm glad you've adored this fic just about as much as I enjoyed writing it. ^___^ Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Syaoran-and-sakura: Hehe. I've updated! Don't worry about Eriol. *grins*  
  
Mindy: I guess fluffiness isn't my thing... and I'm not THAT great of an author. *embarrassed* ^^ I'll be continuing my other E/S fics, and probably will be adding more that I can't even complete in any short while. *laughs* Thanks for reviewing!  
  
glory230: Whoo! I'm glad you think so. Hehe.  
  
Moon Smurf: O_O As always, your reviews are soooo demanding. *grins* Do you think I'd really put S and S together to torture the (very FEW) readers I have??? ^___^ NOT A BAD IDEA!! WHEEEE! Thanks for keeping up w/ this fic for so long! =D  
  
Kousagi-chan: \^o^/ I updated! Please read!  
  
Queen of the Storms: I was told once that I'm the ruler of cliffhangers. I think that's a pretty easily-believed thing by now. Hehehe.  
  
Ryoko the last soul dragon: ... *sweatdrops* That's not the ending. Hehehe. This is the last chapter. S+S and E+T are the main couples that I just can't STAND in the CCS fandom... or in the series itself. (Not that I even SEE E+T in the series.) ^^ You'll approve of the ending, I hope (even if it lacks fluffy-ness).  
  
(anonymous): It's updated! Enjoy, please!  
  
starlight princess: *laughs head off* You're just like Moon Smurf. Do not worry! S+S and E+T KILL me! There's no way that they'd ever... *shudders* ^___^ Thanks for sticking w/ this fic for so long! I'm so happy because of that.  
_  
**Chapter Eighteen: The Names Which Hold Together**  
  
_Day 37 - Earth_  
  
Sakura sat by the window in her room, staring out off towards the rest of the city that she could see from there. They all returned back home yesterday and Sakura could not help but wonder about Tgaeh's siblings. She never knew them well, but obviously, they were compassionate. That was more than enough of a reason to wish that Tgaeh had never died under Dtarna's hands. Not only for her sake of meeting him, but more especially for his siblings'.  
  
  
  
  
_ Syaoran stared at the younger brother and sister of Tgaeh's, before he gave his full attention to Brache. The others were tending to each other. Eurena and Natir were outside. Eriol, Tomoyo, Yue, Sharhn, and the rest were in the house. Eriol's wounds were being tended to by Tomoyo, who watched over him with a gentle care. Sakura, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. Then, he stated two words that opened up new questions. "You knew."  
  
Brache's tear-filled eyes widened as he jerked his head to look up at Syaoran. "I..." Slowly, he bowed his head back down. The group were residing in Tgaeh's house, chaotic noises filling the air outside. "Yes."  
  
"How?"  
  
Brache smirked, wiping his eyes. "There is so much that I have always known, but his death had always been the clearest in my mind. They say that there are quite a number of people in this world who are born with a dark magic that consume them sooner or later, depending on which path they choose to go. Many stay confused and innocent their entire lives, while others take advantage of those who ARE innocent.  
  
"Finally, there are those who have chosen neither path. They are the rare ones, the ones who see more than what those two groups can ever consider combined. They each have different gifts, not of the petty magic the others believe can help them enormously." He shook his head, the same cynical smile upon his face. Then, he looked back up at Syaoran. "My friend, which path do you think I have chosen?"  
  
Syaoran pursed his lips as he returned the same hard gaze he was receiving. He was the first to turn away, glancing at everybody else. When his eyes rested on Sharhn, Brache had spoken once more. "She, too, has chosen my path. But her gift will not be the same as mine. People of our paths are diverse."  
  
"Then why did Tgaeh-"  
  
"Just a NUMBER of people, friend. Just a number of people. Be grateful that he was not one of the chosen, for those like I, we don't have a pure magic. It's never pure. It will always be connected to the darkness, probably to consume us sooner or later. My sister and I are damned in this world," he murmured with more cynicism, then sniffed a bit. "Yet, this is the purest magic we can accept, which is why we chose this path. Tgaeh, he showed it to us beforehand."  
  
"Are you aware of your parents..."  
  
Brache gave another short nod. "I always knew, but when we first came, Tgaeh and Sharhn could not take such a thing, so their memories were erased. For us, time passes by slowly, and we were always so isolated from everybody else. Besides that, I'm sure that Dtarna made sure no questions were asked after my mother left her side."  
  
"She's been defeated. It's over."  
  
This is where Brache gave a loud and harsh laugh, shaking his heads. "It's never over, friend. Only SHE has been defeated. What makes you think that others will not take her place? She was the safest evil this world has ever had, for she was only and first. The world is not ready for somebody more powerful."  
  
Syaoran reached out and clasped his hand on Brache's shoulder, smiling even after those harsh words. "If evil can learn, what makes you think that those who fight against it can't? They WILL learn."  
  
At that moment, Sakura entered the room and her eyes immediately met with Syaoran's. Brache smiled once more. "Also," he told Syaoran in a voice at a lower level of a sound, "they are not the only ones who need to learn. Sometimes, all we can do is accept what we discover. It usually brings enlightenment, I say." Syaoran glanced at the younger boy once more, then looked back to the girl in front of him. "I do not know what will happen with you, but we all should know what path SHE must take. She loves. She needs to hold onto that." After those words, Syaoran excused himself. All questions for Brache were instantly forgotten as he ran up to her. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck. She took in his familiar scent, something that she was not able to do in over a month.  
  
"Syaoran..." she murmured, backing up slightly to glance at his face. She brought a hand up to stroke his cheek, smiling as she attempted to hold back her tears. "You look... older." To her, being with Syaoran, this was the right choice. It had to be. And not only was it right, but, subconsciously, for her, it was also the most secure.  
  
He chuckled. "Who the hell wouldn't after all of this?"  
  
Sakura nodded her head. "Quite right," she laughed. Unbeknownst to them, Eriol was watching the two, the hurt within showing only in the surface of his eyes.  
_  
  
  
  
Yesterday, Kaho and the rest had discovered a spell to drag all five of them back to earth. They left the Shadow World and Lyrra to enter a new era, and Dtarna's life would be left to the people's hands. Brache and Sharhn would be taken care of by Eurena and Natir. Before they left, Sakura had discovered about the prophecy.  
  


_Eons past before our savior comes  
But when thee does, justice be done_  


  
Would that be correct? she wondered. Justice was done, as in the fact that Dtarna was now defeated and she lost the one she truly belonged with because of her actions. But... Tgaeh's death was not justice, if it should be called anything like that at all. Sakura shook her head. The damage had been done, the consequences have been given, and they have returned home. Eriol, to Sakura's sadness, disappeared straight after they returned, along with Kaho, Spinel, and Nakuru. Syaoran went off to tend to his own things, agreeing to meet up with her today. Tomoyo herself went back home, having been unusually silent ever since the battle ended.  
  
Sakura slowly glanced at the clock, when the surprise hit her as she saw the time. _Syaoran! I was supposed to meet up with him five minutes ago!_ She dashed out of her room, grabbing a jacket before she raced out of the house.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 36 - Earth_  
  
The sun was gradually moving to set as Sakura ran to the cafe where they had decided to meet up at. She found him waiting outside, and once Syaoran's eyes met with hers as she was only a few feet away, he grabbed her and lifted her into his arms. "Why does it still feel like it's been an eternity within just a day since I saw you, Sakura?" he murmured into her hair.  
  
"I don't know... I feel the same way."  
  
He gave her a quick kiss before pulling her along into the cafe. The two sat down and quickly ordered their specific drinks. Besides that, strangely, very few sentences were exchanged between the two, until finally, the talking stopped altogether. The silence prolonged a bit too lengthy, making the uncomfortable atmosphere more noticeable than it should have been. Syaoran glanced up at Sakura, only to find that she was gazing out the window, her mind having wandered far off towards someplace else. Or someone else, Syaoran realized.  
  
"When I was still in the Shadow World, being held as a slave there," he suddenly started as he gazed out the windows along with her, "about over a week ago, Yue and Tomoyo appeared, saving me from the beatings of a number of soldiers. Ever since then, they've been by my side." He turned and gave her a smile. "I'm grateful to them. How was Eriol?"  
  
She turned her head back to look at Syaoran once he had started to talk, snapping her out of her deep thoughts. At the mention of his name, Sakura could not help but feel the familiar clenching within her insides. "He... really helped me along the way," she said, returning a smile forcefully. "He saved me a few times from a couple things, and we fought together. Once... I thought he had died, but it turns out that he hadn't. All in all, he was a good guide." Suddenly, she noticed that Syaoran was chuckling, shaking his head. "Huh? Syaoran?" she asked, concern in her voice.  
  
He reached over and took one of her hands into his own. "Sakura," he said evenly, "I know you _much _better than that. We've been together for too long for me to _not _know you. Heh. You're still so freaking dense."  
  
She frowned, yet inside, the feelings were rising up once more.  
  
"I saw the way you fought when he fell down like that after running in front of the magic to protect you," Syaoran continued in a low voice, staring at her face. "The way you reacted, there's no way that it could have only been for friendship-wise. There was no way anybody could have seen that for anything less than deep concern."  
  
"But Syaoran! I love-"  
  
"It can't be me anymore, Sakura."  
  
Her eyes widened in surprise, sucking a staggering breath at the way his sharp voice interrupted her own.  
  
"When I first confessed my feelings to you, you never even realized I had such emotions for you. In a way, I kind of wonder what would have happened if I had never told you, if you never knew. Would you still have suddenly developed such thoughts for me?" Already, Sakura could feel the surface illusions slipping, leaving. Syaoran peered down at their linked hand, stroking hers in a slow way. "We were wonderful together, I'll admit. I loved you, and I'm pretty sure you felt the same for me. But... we've changed. In the past month, after everything, we've changed." Finally, he looked back straight up into her eyes. "You have his Name," he stated clearly.  
  
The illusions shattered.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 36 - Earth_  
  
"Yes," she finally whispered. "I do, did. And I returned it back to him. It belongs to him, and him alone." She took her hand away from Syaoran to bring it up to cover her eyes. "I..."  
  
"This time," Syaoran said, "you discovered your feelings on your own. This time, you should have no doubts. This time, you should NOT have rejected him. You took the safe way out, Sakura, and came back to me."  
  
She took her hand away from her eyes to look at Syaoran. _The safe way?_ she pondered, then slowly nodded her head to herself. _In the beginning, it wasn't like that, though, was it? I sincerely came for Syaoran, the one I cared for. Loved, as we would all say. But as time went on, as Eriol and I interacted more, talked more, and I as saw the way he was, we started to discover each other. How could I have rejected him after the way we treated one another? Even after the fact that I held his Name?! It had stopped being only about Syaoran after Eriol was shot down like that. For me... that was when Search-For-Syaoran ended...  
  
And Eriol began..._  
  
She slowly turned to glance up at Syaoran. As he had said those words, she could not help but hear a different tone of sorts within as well. There was something that Syaoran had discovered by himself when she was not there, and the regret was as clear as a sunny day. She smirked. "I guess that I'm not the only one, huh? Who took the safe way out?"  
  
Syaoran jerked his head up to look at her, then chuckled once more. "I guess you're not as dense as I had said before."  
  
"What will happen with you?" she asked, ignoring his previous comment.Syaoran shook his head, and Sakura had never seen a more tragic expression on his face. "I've lost; It can't happen between us. It's hard to explain, but I'll just have to do without her."  
  
"I don't understand," she said, reaching to grab his hands to comfort. "Why are you giving up on her already? Is it because she lives in the Shadow World?"  
  
"It has nothing to do with that, Sakura. I just... She doesn't want me anymore, I know. Even after the knowledge of knowing we have each other's Names, she does not want me. In a way, it was because of my actions that led her to what she chose. So now, we'll never have a chance to discover what we could have had. Kind of... my punishment for being so easily placed in a spell, you know?"  
  
"Not... really."  
  
He frowned. "Sakura, we're soooooooooo breaking up."  
  
Her lips moved up to form a knowing smile.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*  


  
_Day 42 - Earth_  
  
Sakura stopped at the edge of a forest near her town, waiting a few moments for something she was supposed to expect. When it never came, she entered. "Eriol!" she shouted. "Where are you? I... _We _need to talk." She was wearing a loose jacket over a t-shirt and comfortable pants. She clenched her hands into fist when only the rushing sound of a gentle wind answered back. Immediately, she shouted again, calling for him, still walking in.  
  
The process lasted for hours as she never gave up, peering past the trees for a sign. It was almost as if she knew no matter which way she went, he could still hear her. When the sun began to give signs of wanting to set in a hour or two, Sakura finally sat down on a rock to rest. She could feel it. He was here.  
  
"And even once night comes, I'm not going to leave. I'll keep walking, and keep trying to find you until you decide to show up."  
  
Suddenly, she heard a rushing sound of wind and a strong feel of magic alerted her senses. Sakura quickly got up from her seat the second she felt it. _He's here._ A strong emotion tugged her towards one direction, so she followed her intuitions and ran. She could hear her own quickened breath reach her ears as she zoomed past by so many trees and so many creatures that stared at this lone human in the forest. Sakura ran for as long as she could remember, subconsciously acknowledging that the sun was even beginning to glow dimmer in the horizon.  
  
_I'll never give up on you_, she whispered in her mind, hoping the words would reach him. _Before, you would not give up on me, and now it's my turn to do the same._ The leaves above her rustled loudly, almost as if they wanted to respond back to her thoughts. She could feel the magic becoming stronger, wrapping itself around her like hot air on a summer day. It lingered behind, giving her hints as to where she must run towards.  
  
Sakura faintly heard the sound of a bird chirping, its short and clipped sounds reverberating within the walls of her mind. As she ran, she remembered the days they spent in the Shadow World, searching for Syaoran. She remembered him being there, helping her throughout the entire way.   
  
_ "There is a very magical way to do this..." he whispered. Eriol then stepped back, and let his wand go. It fell to the left side of the road. Eriol smiled satisfyingly. "We go that way," he said in a baby voice, pointing to the left._  
  
"You tried to keep me happy..."  
  
_ "Wear it again this time, okay? Wear it with no fear, now. It's all going to be all right."_  
  
"You still wanted my love for Syaoran to be strong..."  
  
_ "Yes. You are not perfect. Nobody in this world is perfect, Sakura. And you should know that. I've made mistakes. You've made mistakes."_  
  
"You taught me the truth whenever you could."  
  
_ Finally, her whimpering was heard, and the hand returned to hold onto her own. Sighing, Sakura smiled softly, and stopped shifting around once more. "I'm here, Sakura... I'm here..." she heard, and the voice appeased her as well. This kind of well-being she had never had before; she welcomed and cherished it._  
  
"You watched over me..."  
  
_ Not knowing how it happened, Eriol found that his lips were on hers. He continued to silently gaze into her eyes, seeing her surprise, when her eyes gradually closed and she wrapped her arms around his neck._  
  
"Our emotions led us to discover ourselves."  
  
_ "No! Sakura!" Eriol cried, leaping down the stairs to intercept the magic and Sakura. In midair, he felt the putrid energy stab into his physical body, attacking his limbs as the cackling power ate at him. Flinching and cringing, he fell down to the floor, collapsing._  
  
"You _protected _me..."  
  
_ "I love you," he continued to whisper, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I've always loved you, Kaniana." This time, to his happiness, Sakura did not show ire at him when he said her Name. "I loved you since I first saw you. I just didn't know so. And I still love you. Please... Please, Sakura... You know that I would never use your Name. It is yours. I cherish it."  
  
"...your Name. It is yours. I cherish it."  
  
"...yours. I cherish it."  
  
"I cherish it."_  
  
"YOU CHERISHED MY NAME!" she shouted, still running into an unknown direction. "QUAN!"  
  
The next second, the forests gave a sudden halt, yet she had continued to run. When she tried to stop, Sakura stumbled onto freshly-cut green grass. Sakura stopped, breathing hard as she looked around. Here, somewhere in the forest, was the exact image of the house which had resided in the town Tomoeda itself before Void had destroyed it. In front of the house was a lawn, with a dirt path leading towards the door. By the side of the lawn was a large, shady tree, and...  
  
Eriol sat by the base of the trunk.  
  
Slowly, Sakura walked up towards him, using up a few minutes to take in the image of him. The shade gave him a calm and inactive sense of emotion. He was wearing his glasses, his eyes on a small bird at the tip of his fingers. The dark-blue silk shirt he donned fell in ripples and he wore black pants to go with his outfit. Suddenly, the bird from his fingers lifted off into flight, stopping abruptly to circle around Sakura a few times before he raced towards the sunset sky. Still, Sakura continued her way towards him.  
  
"Okay," he said aloud once she was about a few yards away. "Who was it that blabbed to you?"She stopped in front of him, still standing. His eyes were now staring towards the forest, away from her. "Does it matter?" she gave a small smile.  
  
"The moment I find out who it is, I'll make sure that person will be gone from my life."  
  
Sakura laughed. "No... No, you won't. You're not harsh like that. Ah... after almost an entire week, I found you."  
  
  
  
  
_ Yesterday, Sakura was sitting on a swing in the park. She had grown disappointed and aggravated at her failure in finding Eriol. Since Clow Reed's house was already destroyed all those years ago, there was no way that he could have resided there. And to just make sure, she even went to check. Nope. It was now a ramen shop.  
  
So she had walked through the entire Tomoeda in search of him, yet he never came up. She knew he was doing this, yet would not let herself renounce against this unusual tactic he had set against her. It will be another test, one that she will use all her skills to pass.  
  
During that day, when she sat on the swing, she could hear someone walking towards her.  
  
"He won't let me find him. So what are you doing here? I'd think you would be happy about this."  
  
The person sat down next to her. "When we first came back, he created a house in the forests right by this town. It's magically hidden. Those who enter the forest can never hit upon it unless he allows you to. Then, it will appear at the place where it should be. Usually, people swerve around it without even knowing that they did. Go find him there. Shout for him, and demand that he let you enter. Reason with him. Do whatever it is that you need to do."  
  
She stared at the person, then asked a few questions similar to the one she asked before. "Why? Why are you here? Why are you telling me this?"  
  
"We will be leaving in a few days. Please hurry."  
  
Nakuru then got up from her seat on the swing and walked off.  
  
"Answer my questions!" Sakura shouted as she stood up and chased after the guardian.  
  
Nakuru turned around once more to stare into the teenager's eyes. "Being a guardian, I am supposed to watch over my master. During these past days, I have never seen Master so taken over by his emotions. He is conflicting inside; all Spinel and I can do is watch. Kaho would not say anything until today. She told me, 'go get Sakura. She can come.' I've told you the key to the house. You need to reach it yourself."  
_  
  
  
  
"Now that you are here, what do you want, Sakura?" Eriol asked her, finally looking up into at her face. She did not sit down next to him, but instead chose to keep standing. "Shouting in the forest like that... you probably woke up a family of sleeping rabbits or squirrels." Her eyes darted down to his hands and saw that they were still bandaged from the wounds he received in stopping Dtarna from her depth of despair. The cloth was wrapped around his palms, leaving his fingers to still freely move about. Her heart reached out to those wounds, yearning that she could heal them instantly. Instead of telling him so, she answered his comment.  
  
"They'll get over it," she said, waving that topic off with those words of her. "Besides, it's good exercise and all, running at full speed and shouting at the top of my lungs. What more can I ask for? Cheerleading would never have been as productive as this."  
  
He smirked. "So you plan on doing this again?"  
  
"Until I've got what I wanted, yes."  
  
"Poor squirrels."  
  
"Eriol-"  
  
"I'm leaving tomorrow. There's absolutely no reason for you to be here today. Whatever it is that you plan to do-"  
  
"Quan." She heard him suck his breath in, averting his gaze away back towards the forest. "After that... incident during the night, I found myself wishing that I killed myself. But I needed to find Syaoran. I needed to get him back, I told myself. What happened between you and me... no. That meant nothing. That was just a night of temporary loss of common sense that I held-"  
  
Those words sparked up a passion to his face. "Lost of common sense?!" Eriol shouted, sitting straight up as he glared at her. What was she doing? Why was she saying all this? Was this what she waited hours for?  
  
She shrugged. "Whatever. Or lust, you know." She could feel his anger building up, his aura radiating with a slow change to a hue of red. "Then, the next night, it got even worse, what with the whole Name concept and all. To know the true Name of the person who you are fated to be with. That's what it is, right? Well, that's a whole lot of bullshit, too, isn't it? I still had Syaoran, so you and I couldn't get together. By the time we met up with Dtarna, I told myself that what happened between us for those past few days was nothing. Syaoran didn't need to know about it and I can pass by my whole life leaving that memory behind me. So today, I came here to break-"  
  
Suddenly, Eriol shot straight up, his eyes with a blazing fury within them. "SHUT UP!" he shouted angrily. "What the hell are you doing, damn it! So you're back with him, what does it matter to me? Why did you come here to tell me that, when you know that it _kills _me to hear it, especially from you?!" He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a strong embrace. "Damn it... damn it! I never should have let you in," he said, his voice cracking. Eriol continued to whisper those words, never stopping as he held her tightly.  
  
Finally, after he quieted down, as if nothing had happened, Sakura continued her words. "So today, I came here to..."  
  
"Sakura!" Eriol shouted.  
  
"...break ties with those thoughts, because I realized that I was in pushing the truth away from me."  
  
Blinking in confusion, Eriol slowly pulled back to look at her with confusion.  
  
Sakura continued to talk, a small smile now playing on her face. "That time, when you jumped in front of me to take the full attack, I found myself at a loss. Seeing you hurt like that reminded me of the incident in the desert and it tore my control apart. It distressed me so much that my hatred ignited my magic. After the battle, I wanted to go check up on you, but... if I did, then Syaoran would totally leave my mind. He would be gone without a second thought, and I could not do that to him. So instead, Tomoyo tended to you as I worried on the sidelines." She gave a dry laugh, reaching for one of his bandaged hands and holding it gently within her own. She closed her eyes, bringing them to her lips as she whispered softly in a pained tone, "I hated myself for getting you injured like that. It made me wish that you had never jumped in front of me."  
  
"But I wanted to save you. I knew it was something that I needed to do."  
  
"Either way, a part of me fell apart that day when you did... Then, about a week ago, Syaoran and I met up for date after the lack of seeing each other for over a month. By then, I already knew that the way I felt for Syaoran before the Shadow World incident was not as deep as it should have been. Hell, it probably barely qualified for deep at all. I wasn't the only one who saw it, either..."  
  
"Sakura-"  
  
"Syaoran saw it in me," she said, not allowing him to interrupt her. "He saw that I held your Name, and he knew that finally, we weren't going to be together anymore. I think that he, too, had found someone there when we were trying to get to him. But for him, he said he lost her, and he'll never be able to get her back. In a way, we were both idiots, because with the Name concept, we should have chosen what was in front of our eyes. Yet, because of the fear of hurting the other, and a fear of learning to care for someone new, Syaoran and I pushed away and tried to hold onto a love that just wasn't supposed to be anymore. We chose the safe choice, but it could only keep us safe for so long. So during that date, we discussed the whole thing, and Eriol... Syaoran and I broke it off on that same day."  
  
His eyes gaped at her, and his mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally said something. "What..."  
  
"I couldn't..." she whispered. "I couldn't try to hate you enough to go back to him. I couldn't hate you at all... You're the one I care for, Eriol. You're the one who I willingly bind my Name to. You..." _I love YOU..._  
  
"But..."  
  
"It's not that you are my second choice, Eriol. It's because we're linked together, you know? Syaoran and I... we've lost each other in this sense since the beginning of this adventure, so there is no reason for him and I to have intimate relations anymore. He's not the one, Eriol. He's-"  
  
"Just shut up," the young wizard murmured as he pulled her close again with to a fierce embrace, then bringing the two of them down to their knees. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders tightly and clutched her with a need that he could not express in words. Sakura, for her part, returned those unspoken emotions. They whispered their Names to each other within their minds, their thoughts. And for as long as they could, the two of them held each other in that quiet sunset time, listening to the other's regulated breaths.  
  
"She told me... that it was only a matter of time," Eriol suddenly said.  
  
Sakura pulled away a slight bit, only enough to see the side of his face. "What?"  
  
"Kaho... she told me that it was only a matter of time for my predicament. You remember how I told you it seemed as if my wisdom was leaving me? Well... that is because that wisdom had never belonged to me in the first place. It belonged to a powerful magician named Clow Reed, and I am only Hiiragizawa Eriol, a teenage boy. This body, this mind, they were never meant to hold such memories and such a... mature mind. She finally told me that I'm just becoming a more... natural me."  
  
"And she couldn't tell you this before?" Sakura asked, scrunching up her nose in the annoyance she felt for Eriol at having to come all this way to discover the truth of something he could have gotten back in England. "Well, if she had told you before, then you probably would have never come here, huh?" she then realized, and smiled happily. "I'm grateful for that, at the very least."  
  
"That's not true... I would've come anyway. You were in trouble and I wanted to help you, unlike that time with Void. This time, I had wanted to be there for you and watch over you in such a way. I..."  
  
Sakura peered into his eyes with a resolution in her expression when a question popped into her mind. "What happens now that-"  
  
"I'm staying. I'll get the papers taken care of right away and move straight back."  
  
They think alike.  
  
"But that's only after you-" he began.  
  
"I'll always be by your side."  
  
They had already resolved to never let this bond be destroyed.  
  
"What if-"  
  
"We always have lifetimes ahead of us, Sakura."  
  
They see the past for what it was. They see the future for what it holds.  
  
"What more can we ask-"  
  
"Let's not; just allow it to unravel, Eriol."  
  
He felt his lips move up into a smile. "Agreed. And I truly..." But he found himself stopping.  
  
He didn't have to say what they both knew, what they both should have understood in the beginning. This link between them that had been created in the Shadow World and survived through the struggles the two had to go through now grew stronger. What HE knew, he should have fought for to the end, never showing he would have conceded at any time. What SHE knew, she should have just listened to and never ignored it, not for anybody else who she was afraid to hurt. Instead, the two did the opposite and had to wait until now to gain what they could have ever since they realized it in the Shadow World.  
  
They held each other, sitting underneath the tree in front of the house. Such care for one another was a new feeling that could be explored even more later on. What they need now was calm and tranquility as they were together. After the adventures, after the hurt, the pain, the separation, the denial, and the final realization, serene stillness was a wonderful thing to have.  
  
What more _do _they need to ask for? This is what they have always wanted, what most people search for, yet can never find in their lifetime.  
  
"Eriol?"  
  
He looked down at her in his arms.  
  
These... are the Names which hold together.  
  
She closed her eyes and nuzzled his neck. He bent down to kiss her forehead affectionately.  
  
The Names that bind.  
  


**=*~*End*~*=**  


  
_ It's over! Oh, man... what fun I had writing this. ^^ The ending was calm. I tend to do that a lot because after torturing characters, it's best to let things gradually cease. I thank everybody who sticked with this fic for so long. It's been about a year and I'm pretty sure there's been a gradual change in my writing, too. Those who support E/S, you've always made my day. ^_____^ Those who reviewed, I read each and every single one of them. If you suggested something to me, I have always taken it into consideration. Those who flamed (which there were barely any, to my surprise. I guess people just didn't feel they should've wasted their time flaming my fic, hehe) were laughed at. Those who kept saying they adored my fic... T_T I love you guys! I'll be continuing Lonely Souls now. I hate that title. *cringes* I was rushing to put up chapter one, so I rushed into an idea for a title. Bleck! Anyway, go check that fic out, please?  
  
Anyway, thank you all for reading and reviewing! (I know I can't stop saying that, but this E/S fandom is so miniscule, so any reader makes me happy. Hehe. Though it's the longtime ones that really make me ecstatic! =D) It's great contentment for me for finishing this story and a bit sad, too, for not having to prioritize it anymore. I LOVED writing this! Oh, well... Eriol/Sakura FOREVER!_


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